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Family structure, body mass index and eating behavior
Journal
International journal of eating disorders
Volume
42
Number
4
Pages / Article-Number
332-8
Keywords
children, overweight, family structure, eating behaviors, hierarchy, cohesion
Mesh terms
Adult; Body Mass Index; Child; Educational Status; Employment; Family Characteristics; Feeding Behavior, psychology; Female; Humans; Male; Mother-Child Relations; Mothers, psychology; Overweight, psychology; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To explore associations between family structure, children's body mass index (BMI), and eating behaviors of children and their mothers. METHOD: Fifty-seven mothers and their children took part in an experimental study. BMI of children was measured. Mothers were asked to provide self-report data on sociodemographic background, mental health, and eating behaviors about themselves and their children. Parent-child-dyads represented their family structure using the Family System Test. RESULTS: We found negative associations in typical family situations between family hierarchy and children's BMI, mothers' emotional eating and mothers' restrained eating. Family cohesion and restrained eating of the children were also negatively correlated. We obtained positive associations in typical and conflict family situations between family cohesion and external eating of the children. DISCUSSION: We found indications that family structure is associated with overweight and with eating behavior in children and their mothers.
