Relationship between Family Racial/Ethnic Backgrounds, Parenting Practices and Styles, and Adolescent Eating Behaviors

Effects of increased availability and economic incentives on preadolescents' healthier beverages choices: An experimental study

This field experimental study examined how increased availability and economic incentives for healthier beverages affect preadolescents' actual healthier beverage choices in a real-world setting. In addition, the impact of preadolescents' descriptive norm towards healthier beverages, price awareness and parental restrictive rules regarding beverage consumption were explored. During the experiment, preadolescents could independently buy two beverages from an assortment with a total of eight beverages. A 2x2 between-subjects design was used, manipulating the presence of increased availability of healthier beverages and economic incentives (taxes for unhealthier beverages and subsidies for healthier beverages). A total of 305 preadolescents between 8 and 14 years old (M = 10.18, SD = 1.74) participated, each accompanied by one of their respective parents. Results showed that preadolescents were more likely to choose healthier beverages and perceived a higher descriptive norm towards healthier beverages when the assortment included increased relative availability of healthier beverages. Economic incentives and price awareness did not impact healthier beverage choices. Preadolescents were less likely to choose healthier beverages when parents reported higher levels of restrictive rules regarding beverage consumption. Results of the study suggest that increasing relative availability of healthier options could be a promising intervention strategy to support preadolescents in making healthier choices.

Enhancing dietary adherence among African-American adolescents: the role of parenting styles and food-related practices

Introduction

Parenting styles (PSs) and food-related parenting practices (FPPs) play a crucial role in shaping adolescent eating behavior. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the different PSs and FPPs of African-American families and the frequency of consumption of MyPlate food items by adolescents based on recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA).

Methods

This study used a cross-sectional design. Data collection was conducted using Qualtrics through an online survey of 211 African-American parents and their adolescents aged 10-17-year-old. Adolescents completed the Youth and Adolescent Food Frequency Questionnaire to assess their dietary behavior, while parents filled out the survey to identify the degree of PSs (i.e., authoritative, authoritarian, setting rules, and neglecting) and FPPs (i.e., monitoring, reasoning, copying, and modeling). Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and stepwise logistic regression were performed to determine the answers to the research questions.

Results

For fruit consumption, authoritative parenting significantly reduced the likelihood of adherence to DGA, while authoritarian, monitoring, and reasoning practices increased it. Female adolescents were more likely to meet fruit intake recommendations, with a similar positive impact observed for those whose parents had above high school education. In vegetable intake, authoritarian and monitoring practices positively impact on adherence to DGA, whereas setting rules had a detrimental impact. Being in a married household also increased vegetable intake DGA adherence. For grain consumption, reasoning was a significant positive predictor, while setting rules negatively impacted adherence. Dairy DGA adherence was positively impacted by monitoring and copying practices, but negatively impacted by female gender. Protein intake showed a positive association with reasoning and parental education.

Discussion

Our findings confirm the importance of parenting in developing desired eating behaviors among African-American adolescents. The results of this study can be used to develop culture-based nutritional education programs for parents and youth.

Perspective: Nutrition Health Disparities Framework: A Model to Advance Health Equity

Disparities in nutrition, such as poor diet quality and inadequate nutrient intake, arise from multiple factors and are related to adverse health outcomes such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers. The aim of the current perspective is to present a nutrition-centric socioecological framework that delineates determinants and factors that contribute to diet and nutrition-related disparities among disadvantaged populations. The Nutrition Health Disparities Framework (NHDF) describes the domains (biological, behavioral, physical/built environment, sociocultural environment, and healthcare system) that influence nutrition-related health disparities through the lens of each level of influence (that is, individual, interpersonal, community, and societal). On the basis of the scientific literature, the authors engaged in consensus decision making in selecting nutrition-related determinants of health within each domain and socioecological level when creating the NHDF. The framework identifies how neighborhood food availability and access (individual/built environment) intersect with cultural norms and practices (interpersonal/sociocultural environment) to influence dietary behaviors, exposures, and risk of diet-related diseases. In addition, the NHDF shows how factors such as genetic predisposition (individual/biology), family dietary practices (interpersonal/behavioral), and food marketing policies (societal) may impact the consumption of unhealthy foods and beverages and increase chronic disease risk. Family and peer norms (interpersonal/behavior) related to breastfeeding and early childhood nutrition interact with resource-poor environments such as lack of access to preventive healthcare settings (societal/healthcare system) and low usage of federal nutrition programs (societal/behavioral), which may increase risk of poor nutrition during childhood and food insecurity. The NHDF describes the synergistic interrelationships among factors at different levels of the socioecological model that influence nutrition-related outcomes and exacerbate health disparities. The framework is a useful resource for nutrition researchers, practitioners, food industry leaders, and policymakers interested in improving diet-related health outcomes and promoting health equity in diverse populations.

Parenting Practices Are Associated With Adolescent Food Choices During Independent Eating Occasions

BACKGROUND

Frequency of independent eating occasions (iEOs) has been linked to intake of unhealthy foods and overweight or obesity among adolescents. Parenting practices involving modeling healthy food intake and making healthy foods available have been associated with healthy food intake among adolescents; however, little is known about these associations during iEOs.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether parenting practices involving structure (monitoring, availability, modeling, and expectations), lack of structure (indulgence), and autonomy support reported by adolescents or parents were associated with adolescent iEO intake of junk foods, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), sugary foods, and fruit and vegetables.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study measuring parenting practices and adolescent iEO food choices via an online survey and adapted food frequency questionnaire.

PARTICIPANTS/SETTING

Parent/adolescent dyads (n = 622) completed surveys (November-December 2021) using a national Qualtrics panel database. Adolescents were 11 to 14 years of age and had iEOs at least weekly.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Primary measures included parent- and adolescent-reported frequency of food parenting practices and adolescent-reported iEO intake of junk foods, sugary foods, SSBs, and fruits and vegetables.

STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED

Multivariable linear regression models were used to examine associations between parenting practices and iEO intake of foods/beverages, adjusting for adolescent's age, sex, race and ethnicity, iEO frequency, parent's education and marital status, and household food security status. Bonferroni multiple comparison corrections were conducted.

RESULTS

More than half of parents were female (66%) and 35 to 64 years of age (58%). Adolescents/parents identified as White/Caucasian (44%/42%), Black/African American (28%/27%), Asian (21%/23%), and Hispanic ethnicity (42%/42%). Positive associations were observed among adolescent-reported and parent-reported autonomy support, monitoring, indulgence and expectations parenting practices, and adolescent-reported daily iEO intake frequencies of junk foods, sugary foods, and fruits and vegetables (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Structural and autonomy support parenting practices were positively associated with both healthy and unhealthy iEO food intake by adolescents. Interventions to improve adolescent iEO intake could promote positive practices associated with healthy food consumption.

Parenting Styles, Food Parenting Practices, Family Meals, and Weight Status of African American Families

Parents influence adolescents' weight status through different strategies used in the home environment, including parenting styles (PSs), food parenting practices (FPPs), and family meal frequency. As the prevalence of obesity is higher among African American adolescents, investigation of which parental strategies serve as an adjustable factor for the prevention of obesity is critical. First, this study aims to examine the relationship between the different parenting influences and obesity statuses of both parents and 10-17-year-old adolescents among African American families. Second, it aims to examine the correlation between PSs and FPPs and frequency of family meals. A total of 211 parent-adolescent dyads completed an online survey using Qualtrics. Four PSs (i.e., authoritative, authoritarian, setting rules/expectations, and neglecting) and four FPPs (i.e., monitoring, reasoning, copying, and modeling) were identified for this study, along with family meal frequency. Body mass index (BMI) percentile and BMI were used to assess the obesity status of the adolescents and parents, respectively. No correlation was found between the adolescents' and parents' obesity status and the PSs and FPPs, while the adolescents' BMI percentile was significantly correlated with parental BMI. However, a higher number of family meals decreased the likelihood of obesity among the adolescents to some extend and depended on the type of BMI used. An authoritative PS was the only style related to family meal frequency, while three FPPs, namely, monitoring, reasoning, and modeling, were related to a greater number of family meals in African American families. The findings of this study can be used in the development of parental education workshops/sessions, with consideration of the cultural differences in African American families, and can help parents to adopt the best parenting strategy to promote the healthy weight status of their adolescents.