Modeling Parental Influence on Food Consumption among Chinese Adolescents through Self-Efficacy: A Path Analysis

This study aimed to investigate the associations between perceived parental control, perceived parental modeling and parent–teen co-decision making, and fruit and vegetable (F&V) and sugar-sweetened beverage and junk food (S&J) consumption among Chinese adolescents, and examine whether self-efficacy mediates the associations. Data were collected in a cross-sectional survey of Chinese adolescents carried out in the fall of 2019. The questionnaires were adapted from the Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating (FLASHE) Study. Ordinary least-squares regressions and a path analysis were performed to evaluate the hypothesized associations. The final sample included 3595 Chinese adolescents (mean (SD) age, 14.67 (1.73) years; 52.82% (n = 1899) males). Perceived parental control was positively associated with adolescents’ F&V consumption, and was negatively associated with adolescents’ S&J consumption. Perceived parental modeling and parent–teen co-decision making were both positively associated with adolescents’ F&V consumption and negatively associated with their S&J consumption. Adolescents’ self-efficacy was positively associated with F&V consumption and negatively associated with S&J consumption. These results suggest that serving as a positive role model, having adolescents participate in the decision-making process, and increasing adolescents’ self-efficacy can be feasible and efficacious strategies to improve the nutritional quality of Chinese adolescents’ diets.

Psychoeducation focused on family accommodation: a practical intervention for parents of children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder that is frequently diagnosed in children and adolescents. In pediatric OCD, family plays an important role in the development and maintenance of the disease. In this relationship, both genetic and behavioral factors, such as parental modeling and family accommodation, are significant. Parental modeling concerns the daily enactment of dysfunctional behavioral patterns by a parent with OCD, which may influence children. Family accommodation, in contrast, describes the direct participation of parents in their child’s compulsive rituals, by modifying daily routines or by facilitating avoidance of OCD triggers, to decrease the child’s distress and time spent executing compulsions. Approximately 80–90% of the relatives of OCD patients actively participate in patients’ rituals. The literature demonstrates that a high level of family accommodation is associated with OCD symptom severity, reduced response to cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT), and a higher risk of therapy dropout.Despite this, no studies have aimed at delineating practical guidance for psychotherapists to support parents in reducing family accommodation.The main aim of this paper is to propose a psychoeducation intervention focused on cognitive-behavioral strategies to help families to manage their child’s OCD behaviors without enacting dysfunctional family accommodation behaviors in order to support their child’s successful therapy.

PICTURE BOOKS AND HEALTHY EATING HABITS: AN INTERVENTION STUDY IN A GREEK PRESCHOOL SETTING

Experiences with food preferences begin in infancy and continue to develop on children transition to solid food. Children’s food preferences are influenced by availability and familiarity with foods as well as parental modeling and health related picture books. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether picture-books regarding healthy lifestyle can influence children’s eating preferences. A questionnaire related to the use of picture-books at home and lifestyle habits was distributed to all parents. Picture-books were provided to all parents. At the same time children were allocated in two groups: the intervention group, which took part in further activities (cooking), and to a comparison group. Interviews were addressed to the parents after the program. The ethical concern included confidentiality assurance and the choice to withdraw. Findings revealed that the daily reading of books about food was increased in both groups. Most of the families of the intervention group reduced fast food and sweet consumption and increased outdoor activities. Implications on the influence of books and additional activities on promoting child attitudes on healthy food will be discussed. <p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0740/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Social Modeling and Eating Behavior—A Narrative Review

Social modeling of eating is the adjustment of the amount of food eaten to the intake of the accompanying person. In this paper we provide a narrative review of literature on social modeling of eating with a particular focus on recent studies. Firstly, we describe the structure of a typical modeling experiment. Secondly, we present a variety of research in this field: experiments with various types of confederates, experiments aimed at the evaluation of the influence of gender, partner’s body weight, type of food, hunger, personal characteristics, etc. Thirdly, we present practical implications of this knowledge. The common conclusion is that social modeling of eating occurs in different situations and consumption is adapted to the standards established by the eating partner, but is not their direct reflection. Social influence of eating is not restricted to "artificial" laboratory situations; social modeling and social norms manipulations may be used to change people’s dietary practices, especially in children and young adults. Within the home environment parental modeling has been shown to promote children’s snacking and fruit and vegetable consumption. Social modeling may be used in nutrition interventions aimed at the improvement of children’s diet and in obesity prevention programs.

Shaping the Environmental Self: The Role of Childhood Experiences in Shaping Identity Standards of Environmental Behavior in Adulthood

Existing research shows that childhood processes affect identity formation. However, there is limited scholarly understanding about how these processes work as children age. The case of environmental behavior offers the opportunity to interrogate these processes. I use reflective interviews with 40 participants in the 2014 People’s Climate March in New York to understand how the socialization of environmental behavior in childhood shapes their perceptions of the processes of identity formation related to participation in the environmental movement. I argue that environmental movement behavior is facilitated by the development of compatible identity standards during childhood. I find that four processes—nature experiences, witnessing degradation, parental modeling, and school experiences—influence participation in environmental movement behavior in adulthood. My results highlight varied ways that behavior in adulthood can be facilitated through the shaping of identity standards over the life course. This research has implications for research on socialization, identities, social movements, and the environment.

Genetic and Environmental Influences on Disgust Proneness, Contamination Sensitivity, and Their Covariance

Dozens of studies have indicated that individuals more prone to experiencing disgust have stronger symptoms of anxiety disorders—especially contamination sensitivity. However, no work has informed the degree to which this relationship arises from genetic factors versus environmental factors. In the present study, we fill this gap by measuring disgust proneness and contamination sensitivity in a sample of 7,199 twins and siblings of twins, including 1,411 complete twin pairs. Disgust proneness was related to contamination sensitivity, r = .32. Multivariate twin modeling revealed that genetic factors accounted for 34% and 40% of the variance in disgust proneness and contamination sensitivity, respectively, and that the correlation between the two traits reflected overlapping genetic (54%) and unshared environmental (46%)—but not shared environmental—influences. Although consistent with work indicating that disgust proneness relates to contamination sensitivity, results suggest that prevailing parental-modeling hypotheses for explaining this relationship be reevaluated.

Genetic and environmental influences on disgust proneness, contamination sensitivity, and their covariance

Dozens of studies indicate that individuals more prone to experiencing disgust have stronger symptoms of anxiety disorders – especially contamination sensitivity. However, no work has informed the degree to which this relationship arises from genetic versus environmental factors. The present study fills this gap by measuring disgust proneness and contamination sensitivity in a sample of 7,199 twins and siblings of twins, including 1,411 complete twin pairs. Disgust proneness was related to contamination sensitivity, r = .32. Multivariate twin modeling revealed that genetic factors accounted for 34% and 40% of the variance in disgust proneness and contamination sensitivity, respectively, and that the correlation between the two traits reflected overlapping genetic (54%) and unshared environmental (46%) – but not shared environmental – influences. While consistent with work indicating that disgust proneness relates to contamination sensitivity, results suggest that parental-modeling hypotheses for explaining this relationship be re-evaluated.

INDIVIDUAL PARENTAL COACHING - A SUPPORT FOR PARENTS

Parents are usually entering the significant role of parenthood without any designated manual or training, apart from the parental modeling they have experienced in their own childhood home. Yet, the responsibility for raising happy and well-adjusted children lays on the parents' shoulders. The parental task becomes even more demanding during the tension saturated years of adolescence, when parents tend to feel lost, bewildered, and lose the easy-going communication they had with their children, especially in the challenging post-modern era. In order to establish 'good enough' parenting, which is based on a coherent and consistent agenda, parents should be given the opportunity to set out on a journey of familiarity with their own 'self,' their values as individuals, their beliefs, strengths and weaknesses, which is offered by using the Individual Parental Coaching (IPC) model. The uniqueness of the model is by placing the parents at the heart of the coaching process, relating to them as whole and complete persons, rather than as a parent designed to bare, raise, love and serve children. The model was examined with qualitative research in 2016 in Israel, and has developed to other fields since then. The results of the initial research and utterances from other parents that participated in the model in various contexts indicate that they clearly witness a significant improvement of their parental abilities, which lead to a better connection and communication with their adolescent's children.

A Comprehensive Assessment of Food Parenting Practices: Psychometric Properties of the Portuguese Version of the HomeSTEAD Family Food Practices Survey and Associations with Children’s Weight and Food Intake

The Home Self-Administered Tool for Environmental Assessment of Activity and Diet (HomeSTEAD) survey evaluates a broad spectrum of food parenting practices related to parental use of control, autonomy support, and structure. This study aims to test the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the HomeSTEAD family food practices survey in parents of 3–12 year old children. Data were collected from 184 parents/caregivers. We performed an exploratory factor analysis (EFA), calculated the internal consistency coefficients of each subscale, and tested for associations with children’s food intake and weight. Based on the EFA, 61 items were included in the Portuguese version of the HomeSTEAD family food practices survey, and were distributed among four Coercive Control Practices (16 items); five Autonomy Support Practices (17 items); and nine Structure Practices (28 items). All scales demonstrated an acceptable level of internal consistency. A higher body mass index (BMI) SD score in children was associated with higher levels of restriction and weight talk by parents and distractions during meals. Higher levels of distractions during meals were also associated with higher sweets intake in children. Additionally, higher levels of parental modeling and the establishment of rules and limits were associated with lower intake of sugar-sweetened beverages. These associations provide preliminary evidence of the HomeSTEAD family food practices survey’s construct validity and attest to its potential to assess parental strategies and provide useful information to improve children’s eating.

The role of family factors and self-regulation: Problem behavior in Georgian adolescents

The aim of this study is to assess the psychosocial factors of adolescents’ problem behavior. Within this research, the relationships among family structure, parental modeling, parental monitoring, and adolescents’ self-regulation were assessed. Data were collected by self-report questionnaires. The sample consisted of 150 participants aged 14 to 17. Sixty adolescents were in conflict with the law, and the other 90 adolescents who did not have such a contact with the legal system. Results show that more adolescents in conflict with the law live in single-parent families than their peers who do not have a similar experience. At the same time, adolescents living with single parents have a higher mean score of problem behavior and a lower mean score of parental monitoring. Correlational and regression analyses revealed that parents’ problem behavior models and parental monitoring are statistically significant predictors of adolescents’ problem behavior. In the present study, self-regulation was revealed to be a significant correlate of adolescents’ problem behavior, and that family factors mediate the relationship between self-regulation and problem behavior. Results also confirm the importance of an approach for the prevention of deviant behavior focused primarily on family supporting measures.