Adolescent Weight And Health Behaviors And Their Associations With Individual, Social, And Parental Factors

Keywords

BMI; Parental influence; Physical activity; Social influence

Abstract

Background: To examine the associations and differences between gender and weight classification for physical activity (PA) and individual, social, and parental factors. Methods: Data from wave 2 of the “Growing up in Ireland” national study were used, resulting in a sample of 7525 13-year-old adolescents. Information on factors affecting adolescents' social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development was collected. Results: Overweight (OW) adolescents were more likely to exercise and restrict food for weight loss and less likely to perform moderate to vigorous PA than normal weight adolescents. Parent body mass index was associated with adolescent body mass index for OW and normal weight adolescents, with the strongest association seen with OW females. Parents of OW adolescents considered themselves to be more OW and less physically active than parents of normal weight adolescents. Furthermore, for all groups, a greater amount of moderate to vigorous PA was associated with less television viewing, greater PA of parents, and a greater number of friends. Conclusion: Parental health behaviors play a significant role in adolescents' bodyweight, representing the necessity for more constructive health behaviors and PA among parents. Future interventions may be strengthened by focusing specifically on gender and body mass index, while taking into consideration the importance of parental behaviors on adolescents.

Publication Date

12-1-2018

Publication Title

Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Volume

15

Issue

12

Number of Pages

912-917

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2017-0279

Socpus ID

85059634726 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85059634726

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