Do parental and cultural factors play a role in overeating behaviors among Latino youth?
Class
Article
Graduation Year
2017
College
Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services
Department
Psychology Department
Faculty Mentor
Rick Cruz
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
Research has indicated that certain parenting practices, such as parental monitoring, warmth, and discipline, play a crucial role in the shaping of a child’s eating behaviors. However, much of this research has been done with White families, and the research with Latino families is lacking. This is a large issue, as established literature has found that parenting practices may not have the same effect on Latino adolescents as they do on White adolescents. Further, Latino families are influenced by cultural factors, such as traditional family values (familism), which have been associated with decreased engagement in risky behaviors. However, the influence of greater familism on adolescent eating behaviors has not been established. The purpose of this study is to examine how familism and parenting practices influence overeating behaviors in Latino adolescents. We hypothesized that greater levels of parental monitoring and discipline, and lower levels of parental warmth and familism, will lead to more overeating in Latino adolescents.
The Choices Youth Health Study is a pilot project that examined cultural, contextual and individual factors that influence risky behavior among Latino adolescents (N=50) ages 13-17. Recruitment methods included community and social media advertising. Trained interviewers secured parent permission/child assent and guided youth through a 1.5-hour interview including questionnaires, a behavioral task and collection of salivary samples. Our preliminary analyses indicate that parental control was nearing significance in predicting overeating behaviors in Latino adolescents (b = 2.56, OR= 12.95, p = .07). This finding suggests that adolescents whose parents control their behaviors (e.g., what they wear or watch on TV) are more likely to engage in overeating than those whose parents do not. It is important to examine this association further with a larger sample. Nonetheless, these results may be helpful in informing efforts aimed at addressing overeating behaviors in Latino adolescents.
Location
South Atrium
Start Date
4-13-2017 12:00 PM
End Date
4-13-2017 1:15 PM
Chandler Benney
Do parental and cultural factors play a role in overeating behaviors among Latino youth?
South Atrium
Research has indicated that certain parenting practices, such as parental monitoring, warmth, and discipline, play a crucial role in the shaping of a child’s eating behaviors. However, much of this research has been done with White families, and the research with Latino families is lacking. This is a large issue, as established literature has found that parenting practices may not have the same effect on Latino adolescents as they do on White adolescents. Further, Latino families are influenced by cultural factors, such as traditional family values (familism), which have been associated with decreased engagement in risky behaviors. However, the influence of greater familism on adolescent eating behaviors has not been established. The purpose of this study is to examine how familism and parenting practices influence overeating behaviors in Latino adolescents. We hypothesized that greater levels of parental monitoring and discipline, and lower levels of parental warmth and familism, will lead to more overeating in Latino adolescents.
The Choices Youth Health Study is a pilot project that examined cultural, contextual and individual factors that influence risky behavior among Latino adolescents (N=50) ages 13-17. Recruitment methods included community and social media advertising. Trained interviewers secured parent permission/child assent and guided youth through a 1.5-hour interview including questionnaires, a behavioral task and collection of salivary samples. Our preliminary analyses indicate that parental control was nearing significance in predicting overeating behaviors in Latino adolescents (b = 2.56, OR= 12.95, p = .07). This finding suggests that adolescents whose parents control their behaviors (e.g., what they wear or watch on TV) are more likely to engage in overeating than those whose parents do not. It is important to examine this association further with a larger sample. Nonetheless, these results may be helpful in informing efforts aimed at addressing overeating behaviors in Latino adolescents.