Hostname: page-component-6766d58669-6mz5d Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-05-19T06:20:50.400Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Parenting styles are associated with overall child dietary quality within low-income and food-insecure households

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 June 2019

Michael P Burke*
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology, Georgetown University, Car Barn Suite 209, 3520 Prospect Street NW, Washington, DC 20057, USA
Sonya J Jones
Affiliation:
Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
Edward A Frongillo
Affiliation:
Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
Christine E Blake
Affiliation:
Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
Maryah S Fram
Affiliation:
College of Social Work, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
*
*Corresponding author: Email MPB122@georgetown.edu
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective:

To examine the association between parenting styles and overall child dietary quality within households that are low-income and food-insecure.

Design:

Child dietary intake was measured via a 24 h dietary recall. Dietary quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index-2005 (HEI-2005). Parenting styles were measured and scored using the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire. Linear regressions were used to test main and interaction associations between HEI-2005 scores and parenting styles.

Setting:

Non-probability sample of low-income and food-insecure households in South Carolina, USA.

Participants:

Parent–child dyads (n 171). Parents were ≥18 years old and children were 9–15 years old.

Results:

We found a significant interaction between authoritative and authoritarian parenting style scores. For those with a mean authoritarian score, each unit increase in authoritative score was associated with a higher HEI-2005 score (b = 3·36, P < 0.05). For those with an authoritarian score that was 1 sd above the mean authoritarian score, each unit increase in authoritative score was associated with a higher HEI-2005 score (b = 8.42, P < 0.01). For those with an authoritarian score that was −1 sd below the mean authoritarian score, each unit increase in authoritative score was associated with a lower HEI-2005 score; however, this was not significant (b = −1·69, P > 0·05). Permissive parenting style scores were negatively associated with child dietary quality (b = −2·79, P < 0·05).

Conclusions:

Parenting styles should be considered an important variable that is associated with overall dietary quality in children living within low-income and food-insecure households.

Information

Type
Research paper
Copyright
© The Authors 2019 
Figure 0

Table 1 Socio-economic and demographic characteristics of parent–child dyads included in a sample of low-income and food-insecure households (n 171), South Carolina, USA, 2012

Figure 1

Table 2 Least-squares regression testing the association between child Healthy Eating Index-2005 total score (outcome variable) and mean Parenting Styles and Dimension score (predictor of interest), adjusting for socio-economic and demographic covariates, in a sample of low-income and food-insecure households (n 171), South Carolina, USA, 2012

Figure 2

Fig. 1 Predicted child Healthy Eating Index-2005 (HEI-2005) scores conditional on an interaction in a linear model between the authoritative and authoritarian subscales of the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ). Authoritarian parenting scores are held constant at the mean (---), the mean + 1 sd (----), and the mean − 1 sd (---), in the parent–child dyads included in a sample of low-income and food-insecure households (n 171), South Carolina, USA, 2012