Niemeier B S, Duan Y P, Shang B R, Yang J
Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Coaching, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Whitewater.
Department of Physical Education, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong.
Child Care Health Dev. 2017 Mar;43(2):259-266. doi: 10.1111/cch.12438. Epub 2017 Jan 10.
Excessive bodyweight contributes to a myriad of risk factors for chronic diseases, and multiple reports have demonstrated that parents influence the development of their children's behaviors that contribute to bodyweight. However, studies that include considerations for cultural influences are limited, and methodology that considers direct reports from young adults and their parents across cultures does not exist.
A sample of young adults (N = 327) and their parents in the U.S. and in China were recruited and completed a series of questionnaires in two cycles (2010 and 2014). With correlation and multiple regression analyses, parents' characteristics, behaviors, and parental authority styles were examined and compared to weight-related health behaviors and bodyweight of their young-adult children. Additionally, similarities and differences of parental influences between the two cultures were explored.
Parents' body mass indexes (BMIs) and dietary behaviors were positively associated with those of their young adult children in the mixed-culture sample (P < .001 for both). When controlling for gender, at high levels of authoritarian and permissive parental authority, the relationships between young adults' and their parents' BMIs were negative for U.S. participants and positive for Chinese participants (P < .05 for both). Further, at high levels of authoritarian parenting, the relationship between young adults' and their parents' dietary consumption behaviors was negative for U.S. participants and positive for Chinese participants (P < .001).
This study provides evidence that the development of life-long health behaviors that contribute to BMI are significantly influenced by parents' behaviors and parenting styles. Moreover, an interaction of parental characteristics and cultural norms is indicated.
超重会导致众多慢性疾病风险因素，多项报告表明父母会影响孩子那些导致体重增加的行为发展。然而，考虑文化影响的研究有限，且不存在考虑跨文化的年轻人及其父母直接报告的方法。
招募了美国和中国的年轻人样本（N = 327）及其父母，并分两个阶段（2010年和2014年）完成了一系列问卷调查。通过相关性和多元回归分析，研究并比较了父母的特征、行为和育儿方式与其成年子女的体重相关健康行为和体重。此外，还探讨了两种文化中父母影响的异同。
在混合文化样本中，父母的体重指数（BMI）和饮食行为与成年子女的BMI和饮食行为呈正相关（两者P均<0.001）。在控制性别后，在专制和宽容的高父母权威水平下，美国参与者中年轻人与其父母的BMI之间的关系为负，而中国参与者中则为正（两者P均<0.05）。此外，在专制育儿的高父母权威水平下，美国参与者中年轻人与其父母的饮食消费行为之间的关系为负，而中国参与者中则为正（P<0.001）。
本研究提供了证据，表明有助于BMI的终身健康行为发展受到父母行为和育儿方式的显著影响。此外，还表明了父母特征与文化规范之间的相互作用。
