Lwin May O, Seet Allison, Leo Seraphina, Schulz Peter J
Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland.
JMIR Pediatr Parent. 2025 Jul 24;8:e76943. doi: 10.2196/76943.
Childhood obesity remains a significant global public health issue, with consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) recognized in scientific studies as a key contributing factor. While family influences on children's dietary behaviors and their effects on obesity risk are well-documented, the dynamics between parents and children in shaping SSB consumption remain underexplored.
Drawing on social influence theory, this study examines how parent-child perceptions and consumption intentions regarding SSBs are interrelated and the potential mediating role of attitudes. We also studied how engagement with food-related content on social media may relate to consumption intentions.
We conducted a face-to-face survey of 250 parent-child dyads (N=500) living in public housing in Singapore, a country tackling overweight in its population. Dichotomous items were used to measure cognitive perceptions and attitudes toward SSBs. Both parent and child participants self-reported their intention to consume SSBs. Based on the World Health Organization (WHO) definition of SSBs, visuals of culturally relevant drink products were used in the survey to visualize SSBs. Dyadic data analysis using the MEDYAD tool was conducted to test the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) and examine the impact of the parent-child dyadic relationship on individuals' intention to consume sugary drinks.
Pearson correlation results indicated positive associations between parent and child cognitive perceptions and intentions to consume SSBs. Path analysis revealed strong actor effects with both parents' (β=.52, P<.001) and children's (β=.43, P<.001) own perceptions predicting their attitudes and subsequent intentions to consume SSBs (parent: β=.32, P<.001; child: β=.31, P<.001). Partner effects also emerged: parental perceptions influenced children's intentions (β=.20, P=.01), while children's perceptions shaped parental attitudes (β=.20, P=.02), highlighting the reciprocal nature of influence. While digital food media engagement was positively associated with consumption intentions, its effects were relatively modest and not central to the dyadic pathways.
Our study findings highlight the reciprocal effects of both parents and children in influencing healthier behaviors and hence provide insights to aid obesity prevention efforts. By addressing the interdependent associations of parent-child dynamics, this research bridges theory and health communication practice, offering a novel framework for combating obesity through family-centered approaches.
儿童肥胖仍然是一个重大的全球公共卫生问题，科学研究认为饮用含糖饮料（SSB）是一个关键的促成因素。虽然家庭对儿童饮食行为的影响及其对肥胖风险的作用已有充分记录，但父母与子女在形成含糖饮料消费习惯方面的动态关系仍未得到充分探索。
本研究借鉴社会影响理论，探讨父母与子女对含糖饮料的认知和消费意愿如何相互关联，以及态度可能起到的中介作用。我们还研究了在社交媒体上接触与食品相关的内容与消费意愿之间的关系。
我们对居住在新加坡公共住房中的250对亲子（N = 500）进行了面对面调查，新加坡是一个正在应对民众超重问题的国家。采用二分法项目来衡量对含糖饮料的认知和态度。父母和儿童参与者都自我报告了他们饮用含糖饮料的意愿。根据世界卫生组织（WHO）对含糖饮料的定义，调查中使用了具有文化相关性的饮料产品图片来直观呈现含糖饮料。使用MEDYAD工具进行二元数据分析，以测试行为者-伙伴相互依赖模型（APIM），并研究亲子二元关系对个人饮用含糖饮料意愿的影响。
皮尔逊相关分析结果表明，父母与子女对含糖饮料的认知和饮用意愿之间存在正相关。路径分析显示出强烈的行为者效应，父母（β = 0.52，P < 0.001）和子女（β = 0.43，P < 0.001）自身的认知都能预测他们对含糖饮料的态度以及随后的饮用意愿（父母：β = 0.32，P < 0.001；子女：β = 0.31，P < 0.001）。伙伴效应也很明显：父母的认知会影响子女的意愿（β = 0.20，P = 0.01），而子女的认知会塑造父母的态度（β = 0.20，P = 0.02），突出了影响的相互性。虽然数字食品媒体参与度与消费意愿呈正相关，但其影响相对较小，并非二元路径的核心因素。
我们的研究结果突出了父母和子女在影响更健康行为方面的相互作用，从而为肥胖预防工作提供了有益见解。通过解决亲子动态关系中的相互依存关联，本研究将理论与健康传播实践联系起来，提供了一个以家庭为中心的肥胖防治新框架。
