Parental practices of feeding and physical activity, and their association with excess weight in children aged 6 to 10 years

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: In Sonora, the prevalence of weight excess (WE) in schoolchildren is 36.9%, higher than the national average (34.4%). The problem is attributed to the presence of an obesogenic environment, which favors an imbalance between consumption and energy expenditure. The family food environment exerts a powerful influence on feeding and physical activity practices (FPAP), but there is little local evidence. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the association between parental practices and body size of schoolchildren between 6 and 10 years. METHODOLOGY: Cross-sectional study in a probabilistic sample of 340 children between 6 and 10 years old and their caregiver. The validated questionnaire "Parenting Strategies for Eating and Activity Scale" (PEAS) and a sociodemographic one were applied to each dyad; in addition, weight and height were measured. The association between FPAP and WE was analyzed with multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: We evaluated 173 girls and 167 boys and their respective caregivers, with an age of 8.5 ± 1.3 and 8.3 ± 1.3 years and a BMI for the age of 0.78 ± 1.301 and 03 ± 1.41 respectively. WE and parental control showed a negative association [AOR = 0.44, 95% CI (0.221, 0.891)]; the same occurred with parental monitoring that was inversely associated with WE [AOR = 0.41, 95% CI (0.198, 0.868)]. CONCLUSION: WE can be associated with parental practices that emphasize the control and monitoring of physical activity and diet in schoolchildren in Sonora.