Cristina M Gago1, Janine Jurkowski2, Jacob P Beckerman-Hsu3, Alyssa Aftosmes-Tobio3, Roger Figueroa4, Carly Oddleifson3, Josiemer Mattei1, Erica L Kenney1, Sebastien Haneuse5, Kirsten K Davison6. 1. Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. 2. Department of Health Policy, Management, and Behavior, State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222, USA. 3. School of Social Work, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA. 4. Division of Nutritional Sciences, College of Human Ecology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA. 5. Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. 6. School of Social Work, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA. Electronic address: kirsten.davison@bc.edu.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Parent health-related empowerment is defined as the process by which parents realize control over their life situation and take action to promote a healthier lifestyle. For decades, researchers have described the theoretical potential of empowerment in health promotion efforts, though few have empirically examined this hypothesized relationship. This study is one of the first to examine the relationship between parental empowerment and healthy weight parenting practices (i.e., food, physical activity, sleep, and media parenting), as a mechanism for early childhood health promotion in community settings. METHODS: Low-income parents of preschool-aged children attending Head Start in Greater Boston between fall 2017 and spring 2019 were invited to complete a survey in the fall and spring of each academic school year (n = 578 with two surveys and n = 45 with four). Parental empowerment and healthy weight parenting practices were assessed using validated surveys. We used a multilevel difference-in-difference approach to estimate changes in healthy weight parenting practices score by changes in parental empowerment score. RESULTS: Out of a possible score of four, the unadjusted mean (SD) score in fall was 3.20 (0.40) for empowerment and 3.01 (0.40) for parenting. An increase in parental empowerment was associated with an increase in healthier parenting practices (b = 0.14; 95% CI = 0.08, 0.20; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Parent empowerment may be an important target in interventions to prevent obesity in low-income children.
INTRODUCTION: Parent health-related empowerment is defined as the process by which parents realize control over their life situation and take action to promote a healthier lifestyle. For decades, researchers have described the theoretical potential of empowerment in health promotion efforts, though few have empirically examined this hypothesized relationship. This study is one of the first to examine the relationship between parental empowerment and healthy weight parenting practices (i.e., food, physical activity, sleep, and media parenting), as a mechanism for early childhood health promotion in community settings. METHODS: Low-income parents of preschool-aged children attending Head Start in Greater Boston between fall 2017 and spring 2019 were invited to complete a survey in the fall and spring of each academic school year (n = 578 with two surveys and n = 45 with four). Parental empowerment and healthy weight parenting practices were assessed using validated surveys. We used a multilevel difference-in-difference approach to estimate changes in healthy weight parenting practices score by changes in parental empowerment score. RESULTS: Out of a possible score of four, the unadjusted mean (SD) score in fall was 3.20 (0.40) for empowerment and 3.01 (0.40) for parenting. An increase in parental empowerment was associated with an increase in healthier parenting practices (b = 0.14; 95% CI = 0.08, 0.20; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Parent empowerment may be an important target in interventions to prevent obesity in low-income children.
Authors: Gemma L Bridge; Thomas A Willis; Charlotte E L Evans; Kim P J Roberts; Mary Rudolf Journal: Child Care Health Dev Date: 2019-07-24 Impact factor: 2.508
Authors: Hein M Tun; Sarah L Bridgman; Radha Chari; Catherine J Field; David S Guttman; Allan B Becker; Piush J Mandhane; Stuart E Turvey; Padmaja Subbarao; Malcolm R Sears; James A Scott; Anita L Kozyrskyj Journal: JAMA Pediatr Date: 2018-04-01 Impact factor: 16.193