Department of Psychology, Center for Children and Families, Florida International University.
J Pediatr Psychol. 2020 Oct 1;45(9):1084-1092. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsaa074.
Caregiver depression is associated with increased risk for childhood obesity. However, studies assessing the relation between caregiver depression and childhood obesity have focused primarily on typically developing, school-aged children and have not examined the influence of cultural factors.
To evaluate the association between caregiver depressive symptoms and body mass index (BMI) scores in young children with developmental delay (DD) and externalizing behavior problems, as well as the moderating role of acculturation and enculturation on this association.
We examined the association between caregiver depressive symptoms and child BMI scores in 147 3-year-old children with DD and elevated levels of externalizing behavior problems. Caregivers of all participating children self-identified as coming from cultural minority backgrounds. We also examined the association between caregiver depressive symptoms and child BMI across levels of caregiver acculturation and enculturation.
Higher levels of caregiver depressive symptoms were associated with higher child BMI scores (b = .189, p = .001). Acculturation significantly moderated the association between caregiver depressive symptoms and child BMI scores (b = .21, p = .01), such that the association was stronger for more acculturated caregivers. Enculturation was not a significant moderator.
Caregiver depressive symptoms may confer elevated risk for child obesity when caregivers are highly acculturated to the United States, suggesting clinicians should consider levels of acculturation to optimize services for children and families from cultural minority backgrounds.
照顾者抑郁与儿童肥胖风险增加有关。然而，评估照顾者抑郁与儿童肥胖之间关系的研究主要集中在发育正常、学龄儿童身上，并未考察文化因素的影响。
评估有发育迟缓（DD）和外化行为问题的幼儿中照顾者抑郁症状与体重指数（BMI）得分之间的关联，以及文化适应和文化融入对这种关联的调节作用。
我们研究了 147 名 3 岁有 DD 和外化行为问题的幼儿的照顾者抑郁症状与儿童 BMI 得分之间的关联。所有参与儿童的照顾者均自我认定为来自少数族裔背景。我们还研究了在照顾者文化适应和文化融入程度不同的情况下，照顾者抑郁症状与儿童 BMI 之间的关联。
较高水平的照顾者抑郁症状与儿童 BMI 得分较高相关（b =.189，p =.001）。文化适应显著调节了照顾者抑郁症状与儿童 BMI 得分之间的关联（b =.21，p =.01），即对于文化适应程度较高的照顾者，这种关联更强。文化融入不是一个显著的调节因素。
当照顾者高度适应美国文化时，照顾者的抑郁症状可能会增加儿童肥胖的风险，这表明临床医生应考虑文化适应程度，以优化为来自少数族裔背景的儿童和家庭提供的服务。
