Parental concerns about childhood obesity and the strategies employed to prevent unhealthy weight gain in children.

Objectives: To describe parental concerns about their child&rsquo;s weight, to determine the proportion of parents taking preventive action to avoid obesity in their children and the predictors of taking preventive action, and to describe the strategies adopted by parents.Design: A cross-sectional survey was conducted. Children&rsquo;s heights and weights were measured, and parents completed a questionnaire that included measures of their own weight status, perceptions of their child&rsquo;s weight, concerns about their child&rsquo;s current weight and future weight as an adolescent and adult, and the strategies used to prevent obesity.Setting: The study was conducted in Melbourne, Australia.Subjects: A total of 291 families of children aged 5&ndash;6 years and 919 families of children aged 10&ndash;12 years participated.Results: Eighty-nine per cent of parents of overweight 5&ndash;6-year-olds and 63% of parents of overweight 10&ndash;12-year-olds were unaware their child was overweight. Seventy-one per cent of parents of overweight 5&ndash;6-year-olds and 43% of parents of overweight 10&ndash;12-year-olds were not concerned about their child&rsquo;s current weight. Although 31% of parents of 5&ndash;6-year-olds and 43% of parents of 10&ndash;12-year-olds were taking action to prevent unhealthy weight gain in their children, less-educated parents were less likely to do so.Conclusions: Public health programmes are required to raise parental recognition of childhood overweight and of related risk behaviours, and to provide parents with practical strategies to prevent unhealthy weight gain in their children.<br /

The clustering of diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children and adolescents: a review

Diet, physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior are important, yet modifiable, determinants of obesity. Recent research into the clustering of these behaviors suggests that children and adolescents have multiple obesogenic risk factors. This paper reviews studies using empirical, data-driven methodologies, such as cluster analysis (CA) and latent class analysis (LCA), to identify clustering patterns of diet, PA and sedentary behavior among children or adolescents and their associations with socio-demographic indicators, and overweight and obesity. A literature search of electronic databases was undertaken to identify studies which have used data-driven methodologies to investigate the clustering of diet, PA and sedentary behavior among children and adolescents aged 5–18 years old. Eighteen studies (62% of potential studies) were identified that met the inclusion criteria, of which eight examined the clustering of PA and sedentary behavior and eight examined diet, PA and sedentary behavior. Studies were mostly cross-sectional and conducted in older children and adolescents (≥9 years). Findings from the review suggest that obesogenic cluster patterns are complex with a mixed PA/sedentary behavior cluster observed most frequently, but healthy and unhealthy patterning of all three behaviors was also reported. Cluster membership was found to differ according to age, gender and socio-economic status (SES). The tendency for older children/adolescents, particularly females, to comprise clusters defined by low PA was the most robust finding. Findings to support an association between obesogenic cluster patterns and overweight and obesity were inconclusive, with longitudinal research in this area limited. Diet, PA and sedentary behavior cluster together in complex ways that are not well understood. Further research, particularly in younger children, is needed to understand how cluster membership differs according to socio-demographic profile. Longitudinal research is also essential to establish how different cluster patterns track over time and their influence on the development of overweight and obesity

Environmental correlates of physical activity in Australian workplaces

Purpose &ndash; The workplace is an ideal setting to promote physical activity. The purpose of this study is to examine associations with physical activity at and around the workplace.Design/methodology/approach &ndash; Participants were recruited from a random sample of employed adults (n &frac14; 1; 107) in capital cities and major regional centres in Australia. Self-reported barriers and participation in physical activity at and around the workplace were assessed. A multivariable logistic regression model adjusting for age, sex, occupational status, and overall physical activity assessed the odds of being active in this setting.Findings &ndash; Of participants, 61 percent perceived being active in the workplace. Those who perceived their work colleagues and managers to be physically active, and those who indicated that their workplace provides facilities to support them being active had higher odds of being physically active at or around the workplace.Research limitations/implications &ndash; A poor response rate, physically active sample and cross-sectional analysis prevent inferences about the causality of the findings.Originality/value &ndash; The paper provides evidence of the potential for the multiple levels of influence on physical activity at and around the workplace.<br /

Are parental concerns for child TV viewing associated with child TV viewing and the home sedentary environment?

BackgroundTime spent watching television affects multiple aspects of child and adolescent health. Although a diverse range of factors have been found to be associated with young people\u27s television viewing, parents and the home environment are particularly influential. However, little is known about whether parents, particularly those who are concerned about their child\u27s television viewing habits, translate their concern into action by providing supportive home environments (e.g. rules restricting screen-time behaviours, limited access to screen-based media). The aim of this study was to examine associations between parental concerns for child television viewing and child television viewing and the home sedentary environment.MethodsParents of children aged 5-6 years (\u27younger\u27 children, n = 430) and 10-12 years (\u27older children\u27, n = 640) reported usual duration of their child\u27s television (TV) viewing, their concerns regarding the amount of time their child spends watching TV, and on aspects of the home environment. Regression analyses examined associations between parental concern and child TV viewing, and between parental concern and aspects of the home environment. Analyses were stratified by age group.ResultsChildren of concerned parents watched more TV than those whose parents were not concerned (B = 9.63, 95% CI = 1.58-17.68, p = 0.02 and B = 15.82, 95% CI = 8.85-22.80, p &lt; 0.01, for younger and older children respectively). Parental concern was positively associated with younger children eating dinner in front of the television, and with parental restriction of sedentary behaviours and offering sedentary activities (i.e. TV viewing or computer use) as a reward for good behaviour among older and young children. Furthermore, parents of older children who were concerned had fewer televisions in the home and a lower count of sedentary equipment in the home.ConclusionsChildren of concerned parents watched more TV than those whose parents who were not concerned. Parents appear to recognise excessive television viewing in their children and these parents appear to engage in conflicting parental approaches despite these concerns. Interventions targeting concerned parents may be an innovative way of reaching children most in need of strategies to reduce their television viewing and harnessing this parental concern may offer considerable opportunity to change the family and home environment.<br /