Parenting Behaviors and Their Relationship with a Child\u27s Weight Status

Pediatric obesity is a critical healthcare problem that has continued to increase in prevalence. It has been well established that pediatric obesity is a multifactorial problem with no easy solution. Complicating matters has been the fact that there has been a disproportionate increase across ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Parents have been found to play a critical role supporting a child\u27s behavior through environment, role modeling and ongoing parenting practices. This study utilized a cross sectional correlational study design to determine what the relationship is, if any, between a child\u27s weight status and parenting behaviors. In addition the study examined if the relationship was influenced by ethnicity, socioeconomic status, child\u27s activity level, child\u27s nutritional behaviors, and the parent\u27s body mass index. Parenting behaviors were assessed both by the child and by the parent to identify if the two perspectives were congruent with one another