As primary caregivers, parents are often believed to have a strong influence on children’s eating behaviors. However, previous findings on parent-child resemblance in dietary intakes are mixed. Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health reviewed and assessed the degree of association and similarity between children’s and their parents’ dietary intake based on worldwide studies published since 1980. The meta-analysis is featured in the December issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
“Contrary to popular belief, many studies from different countries, including the United States, have found a weak association between parent-child dietary intake,” said Youfa Wang, MD, PhD, MS, lead author of the study and an associate professor with the Bloomberg School’s Department of International Health. “This is likely because young people’s eating patterns are influenced by many complex factors, and the family environment plays only a partial role. More attention should be given to the influence of the other players on children’s eating patterns such as that of schools, the local food environment and peer influence, government guidelines and policies that regulate school meals, and the broader food environment that is influenced by food production, distribution and advertising.” He added, “Parents need to be better empowered to be good role models and help their children eat a healthy diet.”
Wang, along with colleagues from the National Institute on Aging and the University of Zaragoza in Spain, systematically reviewed and analyzed relevant studies published in different countries between 1980 and 2009. They compared the correlations between parent-child pairs’ dietary intakes, by type of parent-child pairs (for example, mother-daughter vs. father-son), world regions and dietary assessment methods, and over time. They found differences in parent-child dietary intake resemblance, across nutrients and dietary assessment approaches. In addition, the meta-analysis provided evidence that correlations have become weaker over time. Compared to non-European countries, in particular, parent-child correlations in intakes of energy and total fat seem to be weaker in the U.S.
“Findings of this study will help enhance our understanding of the factors that may affect children’s dietary intake patterns and provide useful insights for developing effective intervention programs to promote healthy eating in young people,” said May A. Beydoun, PhD, a co-author of the review, staff scientist at the National Institute on Aging, and a former postdoctoral fellow at the Bloomberg School. “More research is needed to study the parent-child resemblance in the diet, the differences in the association between population groups, and the determinants.”
Researchers from the Bloomberg School and leading obesity experts will examine the latest science and policy initiatives for obesity at Super-Sized World: The Global Obesity Epidemic. The conference will be held on Thursday, December 9, 2010, from 12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. at the New York Academy of Sciences.
“Do children and their parents eat a similar diet? Resemblance in child and parental dietary intake: systematic review and meta-analysis” was written by Y Wang, M A Beydoun, J Li, Y Liu, and L A Moreno.
The research was funded in part by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD, 1R03HD058077-01A1, R03HD058077-01A1S1), the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK, R01DK81335-01A1), and the National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program.
This is completely bogus! The most important peice in developing a childs lifelong eating relationship with food is parental influence during the formative years. This is when PARENTS and caregivers need to continuously discuss what everyday foods are and sometimes foods, how foods effect health and how everyone should eat when they feel hungry and stop eating when they don’t feel hungry anymore. These simple concepts set up the framework for a child to follow as they grow up. The problem is the ADULTS and the lack of information they had as children. No health or nutrition in schools, obesity epidemic…… Its not enough to simply discuss the food groups and push vegetables on everyone. It’s a mess. BUT don’t say the parents have little influence just to make people “feel better” about themselves. People need to take some responsibility and be role models. Too many parents “parent” by convenience. they purchase foods that will shut up the child so they can have an easier go of it. This may account for some of the differences found in the study. Just because a child eats different doesn’t mean the adult has little influence.
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