Journal Article

Parenting Self-Efficacy, Parent Depression, and Healthy Childhood Behaviors in a Low-Income Minority Population: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Barkin, Shari L., Heerman, William J., Taylor, Julie Lounds, Wallston, Kenneth A.

2017

Overview

Objectives Childhood obesity prevention and treatment depends, in part, on parents acting as agents of change for their children. Our objective was to measure the associations between parenting self-efficacy, parent depressive symptoms, and preschool child behaviors that support healthy growth. Methods We performed a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a randomized controlled trial. Parenting self-efficacy was measured using a 5-item version of the Parenting Sense of Competence (PSOC-5) scale (α= 0.8). Parent depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CESD) scale. Child outcomes included diet (24 h diet recall), physical activity (accelerometry), sleep (parent-report), and media use during meals (parent-report). We performed separate multiple linear regressions for each outcome controlling for other covariates. Results The sample consisted of 601 parent–child pairs. Median child age was 4.3 (IQR 3.6–5.1) years; median child body mass index (BMI) percentile was 79.1% (IQR 66.8–88.5%); 90% of children were Hispanic/Latino, and 6% of children were non-Hispanic Black. Median parent age was 31.5 (IQR 27.6–36.0) years; 22% of parents met criteria for depression. Parenting self-efficacy (median PSOC-5 25; IQR 24–28) was negatively correlated with depressive symptoms (ρ = −0.16; p < 0.001). In adjusted models, higher parenting self-efficacy was associated with duration of child’s sleep and fewer meals eaten in front of a TV (p < 0.001). There was a significant interaction of parenting self-efficacy and parental depressive symptoms on child sleep duration (p < 0.001). Parenting self-efficacy and depressive symptoms were not significantly associated with child physical activity or child diet. Conclusions In this minority population, higher parenting self-efficacy was associated with longer child sleep and fewer meals in front the TV, but parent depressive symptoms mitigated that protective effect for child sleep duration.

• Publisher: Springer US,Springer,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Adult / African Americans - ethnology / African Americans - psychology / African Americans - statistics & numerical data / Analysis / Behavior / Body mass index / Care and treatment / Childhood / Childhood obesity / Children & youth / Clinical trials / Community / Cross-Sectional Studies / Data collection / Depression (Mood disorder) / Depression - epidemiology / Depression - ethnology / Depression - psychology / Diet / Epidemiology / Families & family life / Female / Gynecology / Health aspects / Health Behavior / Health care / Healthy Diet - statistics & numerical data / Hispanic Americans / Hispanic Americans - psychology / Hispanic Americans - statistics & numerical data / Humans / Low income groups / Male / Maternal and Child Health / Meals / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Mental depression / Minority & ethnic groups / Minority Groups - psychology / Minority Groups - statistics & numerical data / Multivariate Analysis / Obesity / Outcome Assessment (Health Care) - statistics & numerical data / Parenting - ethnology / Parenting - psychology / Parents & parenting / Parents - psychology / Pediatric Obesity - epidemiology / Pediatrics / Population Economics / Poverty - ethnology / Poverty - psychology / Poverty - statistics & numerical data / Prevention / Psychological aspects / Psychometrics - instrumentation / Psychometrics - methods / Public Health / Self Efficacy / Self Report / Sleep / Sociology / Television - statistics & numerical data / Tennessee - epidemiology / Tennessee - ethnology / Underserved populations