Parent–child interactions and obesity prevention: a systematic review of the literature

Abstract

Child obesity research has generally not examined multiple layers of parent–child relationships during weight-related activities such as feeding, eating and play. A literature review was conducted to locate empirical studies that measured parent–child interactions and child eating and child weight variables; five papers met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The findings of the review revealed that parent–child relationships are an important element in explaining the unhealthy trend of childhood obesity. We argue that prevention/intervention strategies must extend on the current models of parenting by targeting the family from a bi-directional perspective, and focusing, specifically, on the mutually responsive orientation that exists in the parent–child relationship.

Keywords:

• childhood obesity
• parent–child interactions
• mutually responsive orientation
• public health

Acknowledgments

Helen Skouteris, Marita McCabe, Lina A. Ricciardelli, Jeannette Milgrom and Louise A. Baur have been awarded an Australia Research Council Discovery Grant DP1092804 to examine how parenting and parent–child interactions impact on preschool children’s eating, physical activity habits and subsequent patterns of weight gain. Helen Skouteris is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia.