Running Head: WEIGHING IN 1

Weighing In: Parent responsiveness in relation to Children’s Eating Concerns

ID 46

Brigham Young University

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Abstract

This paper looks at the connections between parents and children and the relationship

between children’s weight concerns. This is important to study due to the increase of eating

disorders in the last decade and because mental health issues often surround weight concerns.

Data came from the second wave of the Family Relationships Project, which surveyed first and

secondborn siblings from 203 families in a northeastern state (M age = 10.52, SD = 1.50; 51%

female). There was no direct connection between parent responsiveness to children’s weight

concerns, but there was a high correlation between gender and weight concerns. Future research

on parent-child relationship might link responsiveness to weight concerns.

Abstract word count: 109

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Weighing In: Parent Responsiveness in relation to Children’s Eating Concerns

Weight concerns and eating disorders are an important area for study because of their links to

nutritional deficiencies, depression and suicidal behavior, and involvement in risky behaviors

(May et al., 2006). In clinical psychology, a basic assumption exists that the quality of close

relationships, especially those of parents, has a significant impact on mental health problems

(Goossens et al., 2012). This paper examines parent responsiveness and the effect it has on

children’s weight concerns. Parent responsiveness in this paper refers to parent interaction with

children, whether positive or negative.

In one study, parent-child relationships have been found to predict the development of eating

disorders among girls with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Blissett et al., 2011). Children

who had positive interactions with their parents showed less concern with their weight

overall(Blissett et al., 2011). Therefore parent responsiveness might play a crucial role in

children’s weight concerns. Parents are thought to influence the weight concerns of their

offspring via active or passive encouragement to diet or comments to their child about the child’s

weight (Thøgersen-Ntoumani et al., 2016). This paper views parent responsiveness as any form

of response to the child, active or passive. My hypothesis is that children whose fathers and

mothers who are more responsive will show less concern with one’s weight.

Method

Participants/Procedures

Data came from the second wave of the Family Relationships Project which surveyed

first and secondborn siblings from 203 families in a northeastern state (M age = 10.52, SD =

1.50; 51% female). Families were Caucasian and middle class (M family income = $61,756, SD =

29,455; M number of children = 2.55, SD = .75).

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Measures

Fathers’ responsiveness. Children reported on their father’s responsiveness using six

items from Darling and Steinberg (1993). Items were based on a 4-point scale with higher values

reflecting greater responsiveness.

Mother’s responsiveness. Children reported on their mother’s responsiveness using six

items from Darling and Steinberg (1993). Items were based on a 4-point scale with higher values

reflecting greater responsiveness.

Weight concerns. Children reported on their overall concern with one’s weight using six

items from Killen et Al. (1994). Items were based upon a 25-point scale with higher values

reflecting greater overall concern with one’s weight.

Results

To address my hypotheses, I conducted an Ordinary Least Squares regression analysis.

Weight concerns was examined as the dependent variable. In one step, I entered birth order (0 =

firstborn; 1 = secondborn), age, gender (0 = female; 1 = male), number of children, family

income, father’s responsiveness, and mother’s responsiveness. Findings revealed (see Table 1)

a negative association with gender (b = -1.95, SE = .35, p < .001), and a positive association

with birth order (b = 1.97, SE = .69, p < .01)

Discussion

Parental response in this study was not significantly correlated with weight concerns. The

quality of the parent-child relationship might indicate more significance in future research. As

pointed out in one study, different parenting styles affect children in different ways (May et al.,

2006). Examining parenting styles rather than parent responsiveness could provide a more

significant correlation.
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Weight concerns might be more highly correlated with mother’s responsiveness versus

father’s responsiveness, due to gender differences. It is a societal norm for females in the United

States to be more concerned with weight (Haudek et al., 1999). In one study, adolescent girls

who had positive interactions with their mothers showed less concern about their weight overall

especially among mothers with authoritative parenting styles (Topham et al., 2011). Future

research between mother’s positive interaction with their children and specific parenting styles is

needed.

Father’s responsiveness did not show a significant correlation with children’s weight

concern in this study. I hypothesize that the results were not significant because responsiveness

referred to the presence of a response rather than indicating if the relationship was positive or

negative. I argue future research should focus on the quality of the father-child relationship, as

there is a lack of research of fathers and children’s weight concerns.

The limitations are as follows. First, the data collected was based on surveys completed

by children. Second, participants were caucasian and middle class. Weight concerns and eating

disorders are linked to nutritional deficiencies and mental health concerns (May et al., 2006).

When parents focus on the quality of their relationships and improving their specific parenting

style, it has been shown to decrease adolescents concern about weight (Blissett et al., 2011). I

hypothesize that with future research, looking at the quality of parent relationships versus

responsiveness would yield more results related to weight concerns among children.
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References

Arroyo, A., Andersen, K. (2016). The relationship between mother-daughter self-objectification:

identifying direct, indirect, and conditional direct effects. Sex Roles, 74, 231-241.

doi:10.1007/s11199-015-0554-1

Barnes, T., Berghout Austin, A. (1995). The influence of parents and siblings on the

development of a personal premise system in middle childhood. Journal of Genetic

Psychology, 156, 73-85.

Blissett, J., Meyer, C., & Haycraft, E. (2011). The role of parenting in the relationship between

childhood eating problems and broader behavior problems. Child: care, health and

development,37(5), 642-649. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2214.2011.01229.x

Darling, N., & Steinberg, L. (1993). Parenting style as context: An integrative model.

Psychological Bulletin, 113, 487-496. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.113.3.487

Goossens, L., Braet, C., Van Durme, K., Decaluwe, V., & Bosmans, G. (2012). The parent–child

relationship as predictor of eating pathology and weight gain in preadolescents. Journal

of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 41(4), 445-457.

doi:10.1080/15374416.2012.660690

Haudek, C., Rorty, M., Henker, B. (1999). The role of ethnicity and parental bonding in the

eating and weight concerns of Asian-American and caucasian college women.

International Journal of Eating Disorders, 25, 425-433.

Killen, J. D., Taylor, C. B., Hayward, C., Wilson, D. M., Haydel, K. F., Hammer, L. D., &

Kraemer, H. (1994). Pursuit of thinness and onset of eating disorder symptoms in a

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May, A., Kim, J., McHale, S., & Crouter, A. (2006). Parent–adolescent relationships and the

development of weight concerns from early to late adolescence. International Journal of

Eating Disorders,39(8), 729-740. doi:10.1002/eat

Thøgersen-Ntoumani, C., Yau Yin Ng, J., Ntoumanis, N., Chatzisarantis, N., Vlachopoulos, S.,

Katartzi, E., & Nikitaras, N. (2016). ‘Mum’s the word’: Predictors and outcomes of

weight concerns in pre-adolescent and early adolescent girls. Body Image,16, 107-112.

doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2015.12.004

Topham, G., Hubbs-Tait, L., Rutledge, J., Page, M., Kennedy, T., Shriver, L., & Harrist, A.

(2011). Parenting styles, parental response to child emotion, and family emotional

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doi:10.1016/j.appet.2011.01.007
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Table 1
Summary of Hierarchical Regression Analysis for Variables
Predicting Weight Concerns (N = 406)
Variable B SE B β
Birth Order 1.97** .69 .27
Age 0.31 .23 .13
Gender -1.95*** .35 -.27
Number of Siblings -.12 .23 -.02
Family Income -.3 .06 -.02
Mom Responsiveness -1.11 .60 -.11
Dad Responsiveness -.84 .51 -.10
2
R .133
*p < .05. **p < .01. ***p < .001.

Model Summary
Adjusted R Std. Error of the
Model R R Square Square Estimate
1 .364a .133 .117 3.466
a. Predictors: (Constant), DadResponsive, NumSibs, BirthOrder,
Gender, FamilyIncome, MomResponsive, Age

Coefficientsa

Standardized
Unstandardized Coefficients Coefficients
Model B Std. Error Beta t Sig.
1 (Constant) 13.916 3.022 4.605 .000
BirthOrder 1.968 .688 .267 2.860 .004
Age .312 .231 .127 1.351 .177
Gender -1.951 .350 -.265 -5.580 .000
NumSibs -.115 .234 -.024 -.491 .624
FamilyIncome -.033 .057 -.028 -.582 .561
MomResponsive -1.109 .601 -.105 -1.846 .066
DadResponsive -.836 .514 -.093 -1.625 .105