Parental strategies restricting screen use among children, screen home environment, and child screen use as predictors of child body fat: A prospective parent–child study

Effects of physical activity planning interventions on reducing sedentary behavior in parent-child dyads: A randomized controlled trial

Effects of parent-child dyad interventions on behavior remain unclear. This randomized controlled trial investigated if, compared with a control condition, three types of physical activity (PA) planning interventions (individual "I-for-me," dyadic "we-for-me," and collaborative "we-for-us") would reduce sedentary behavior (SB) time in parents and their children. The study involved 247 dyads comprising parents (aged 29-66) and their children (aged 9-15), randomized into one of the three types of PA planning-intervention arms or the control condition. Mixed models were applied to analyze data from a preregistered trial (NCT02713438) with the outcome of accelerometer-measured SB time, assessed at 1-week and 36-week follow-ups. Although children's SB remained unaffected by the planning interventions, a small reduction of SB time was found among parents in the collaborative (p = .048) and individual (p = .042) planning conditions. The effects were observed at the 1-week follow-up only. While short-term reductions in parents' SB were achieved, these were not sustained long-term. PA planning interventions delivered to parent-child dyads did not substantially reduce children's SB, which may be due to young people's needs of increased independence from their parents.

The Dyadic Interplay Between Relationship Satisfaction, Perceived Positive and Negative Social Control, and a Reduction of Sedentary Behavior Time

BACKGROUND

Both the close relationship processes and health model and the dyadic health influence model posit that beliefs about the relationship (e.g., relationship satisfaction) and influence strategies (e.g., social control) serve as mediators of health behavior change. The evidence for such mediation is limited.

PURPOSE

This study investigated two competing hypotheses that arise from these models: (1) perceived use of positive and negative social control (attempts to influence the partner's behaviors) predict sedentary behavior (SB) indirectly, via relationship satisfaction; or (2) relationship satisfaction predicts SB indirectly, via positive and negative social control.

METHODS

Data from 320 dyads (target persons and their partners, aged 18-90 years), were analyzed using mediation models. SB time was measured with GT3X-BT accelerometers at Time 1 (T1; baseline) and Time 3 (T3; 8 months following baseline). Relationship satisfaction and social control were assessed at T1 and Time 2 (T2; 2 months following baseline).

RESULTS

Higher T1 relationship satisfaction among target persons predicted target persons' reporting of higher T2 negative control from partners, which in turn predicted lower T3 SB time among target persons. Lower T1 relationship satisfaction among partners predicted target persons' reporting of higher T2 perceived negative control from partners, which predicted lower T3 SB time among target persons. On average, both members of the dyad reported moderate-to-high relationship satisfaction and low-to-moderate negative control.

CONCLUSIONS

In contrast to very low levels of negative control, its low-to-moderate levels may be related to beneficial behavioral effects (lower SB time) among target persons reporting moderate-to-high relationship satisfaction.

Life-long prevention of cardiovascular disease. Part II: childhood and adolescence

In recent years, researchers have increasingly noted that the development and health of cardiovascular system is influenced by both traditional risk factors (RF) and other determinants of human exposome — a combination of factors of the external and internal environment that affect genetics and epigenetics, as a result of which, one or another (more or less healthy) phenotype is formed. Exposome components have a continuous effect throughout all periods of life. Many RFs have a cumulative effect, and therefore it is important to start prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) as early as possible. The aim of this review was to consider various aspects of CVD prevention in childhood and adolescence. These periods are critical for the development of most behavioral habits, which maintain throughout life. Leading by personal example by parents and the immediate environment plays a paramount role in healthy lifestyle inclusion of children and adolescents. Targeted programs in kindergartens and schools aim at improving health literacy, early detection and timely changing traditional and non-traditional CVD RFs, diagnosis of genetic diseases involving the heart and blood vessels, prevention of sudden cardiac death are also important methods of CVD prevention in childhood and adolescence. Measures of population-based prevention are of great importance, including monitoring of advertising and media content, statutory ban of alcohol and tobacco sale, and the formation of healthy lifestyle.

From a mother's point of view: Psycho-social predictors of maternal monitoring strategy and adolescents' electronic media use

INTRODUCTION

As early adolescents have limited capacities for self-regulating electronic media use (EMU), parental monitoring is needed. However, research has shown that parents do not exert much monitoring over their children's EMU. A theory-based approach may help to identify key predictors of parental monitoring and its effects on adolescents' EMU. Applying the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA), this study examined maternal psycho-social predictors of maternal monitoring of EMU and, subsequently, children's EMU.

METHODS

In Switzerland, 105 mother-adolescent dyads participated in an observational study with two time points (baseline, T1, and follow-up, T2) two weeks apart. Mothers (M_age = 43.83 years, SD = 4.45) reported on their HAPA variables and their children's EMU. Adolescents (M_age = 12.13 years, SD = 0.99; 60 girls and 45 boys) also reported their EMU.

RESULTS

Maternal outcome expectancies (T1) for less EMU were positively related (β = 0.25) with their intention to monitor EMU (T1). Further, intention was positively associated (β = 0.45) with planning to monitor EMU (T1) which in turn predicted marginally (β = 0.18) maternal monitoring (T2). No significant associations were found between maternal monitoring (T2) and adolescents' EMU (T2) reported by mothers and adolescents.

CONCLUSIONS

Contrary to hypotheses derived from the HAPA, findings demonstrate that not all the HAPA variables are linked to maternal monitoring of adolescents' EMU. More research is thus needed to identify antecedents and consequences of different strategies of maternal monitoring.

Adherence to 24-Hour Movement Guidelines among Spanish Adolescents: Differences between Boys and Girls

Background: The 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for adolescents recommend ≥60 min/day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (PA), ≤ 2 h/day of screen time, and 8–10 h/day of sleep. Since little information is available on the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines in Spanish adolescents, this study aims to estimate the proportion of Spanish adolescents meeting individual and combinations of these 24-Hour Movement Guidelines. Moreover, another aim of this study is to examine gender differences in compliance with 24-Hour Movement Guidelines. Methods: A final sample of 1465 Spanish adolescents (44.50% girls; 13.08 ± 0.86) participated in this cross-sectional study. The 24-Hour Movement Guidelines were measured during weekdays and the weekend days by self-reported questionnaires. Results: Although most adolescents met sleep duration guidelines (81.3%), only 38% and 15.8% met physical activity and screen time guidelines, respectively. Only 5.4% of these adolescents met all three 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, whereas 10.2% of this sample did not meet any of these guidelines. Although boys reported greater compliance with physical activity recommendations and girls with screen time recommendations, no significant gender differences were found in the compliance of all three 24-Hour Movement Guidelines. Conclusion: Given that 94.4% of Spanish adolescents did not meet 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, promoting all these three movement behaviours in both boys and girls is an urgent public health priority.

Maternal practices and perceptions of child body mass status explain child energy expenditure behaviors and body mass

This study investigated whether maternal perceptions of child body mass status would predict child body mass index (BMI) z-score via two sets of sequential mediators: (1) four maternal practices promoting child energy expenditure and (2) children’s energy expenditure behaviors. The data of N = 729 mother–child dyads were collected at baseline [T1; n = 495 at 7- to 8-month follow-up (T2)]. Mothers reported perceptions of child body mass status and maternal practices (T1); children reported sedentary screen use and physical activity (T1, T2). Child body mass was assessed objectively (T1, T2). Higher stimulation to be active (T1) was related to a lower child BMI z-score (T2) via higher levels of child physical activity (T2). Higher levels of monitoring of screen use (T1) were associated with higher child BMI z-score (T2) via lower levels of child physical activity (T2). Encouraging parents to stimulate their children to be active may be beneficial for children’s weight maintenance.

Healthy or Unhealthy? The Cocktail of Health-Related Behavior Profiles in Spanish Adolescents

The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence and clustering of health-related behaviors in Spanish adolescents and to examine their association with sex, body mass index (BMI), different types of sedentary screen time, and adherence to 24-hour movement guidelines. A final sample of 173 students (M = 12.99 ± 0.51) participated in this study. Cluster analysis was conducted based on five health-related behaviors: PA and sedentary time derived from accelerometers, as well as healthy diet, sedentary screen time, and sleep duration derived from self-reported scales. Recommendations for 24-hour movement guidelines (i.e., physical activity (PA), screen time, and sleep duration) were analyzed both independently and combined. A total of 8.9% of the sample did not meet any of the guidelines, whereas 72.3%, 17.3%, and 1.7% of the sample met 1, 2, or all 3 guidelines, respectively. Six distinct profiles were identified, most of them showing the co-occurrence of healthy- and unhealthy-related behaviors. Given that most of the adolescents failed to meet the combination of PA, screen time, and sleep duration guidelines, these findings suggest the necessity to implement school-based interventions that target multiple health behaviors, especially because (un)healthy behaviors do not always cluster in the same direction.