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All in the family: Correlations between parents' and adolescent siblings' weight and weight‐related behaviors
Author(s) -
Berge Jerica M.,
Meyer Craig,
MacLehose Richard F.,
Crichlow Renee,
NeumarkSztainer Dianne
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.438
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1930-739X
pISSN - 1930-7381
DOI - 10.1002/oby.21036
Subject(s) - sibling , adolescent obesity , obesity , psychological intervention , medicine , adolescent health , demography , population , overweight , ethnically diverse , developmental psychology , psychology , environmental health , psychiatry , nursing , sociology
Objective To examine whether and how parents' and adolescent siblings' weight and weight‐related behaviors are correlated. Results will inform which family members may be important to include in adolescent obesity prevention interventions. Methods Data from two linked population‐based studies, EAT 2010 and F‐EAT, were used for cross‐sectional analyses. Parents ( n = 58; 91% females; mean age = 41.7 years) and adolescent siblings (sibling #1 n = 58, 50% girls, mean age = 14.3 years; sibling #2 n = 58, 64% girls, mean age = 14.8 years) were socioeconomically and racially/ethnically diverse. Results Some weight‐related behaviors between adolescent siblings were significantly positively correlated (i.e., fast food consumption, breakfast frequency, sedentary patterns, p < 0.05). There were no significant correlations between parents' weight and weight‐related behaviors and adolescent siblings' same behaviors. Some of the significant correlations found between adolescent siblings' weight‐related behaviors were statistically different from correlations between parents' and adolescent siblings' weight‐related behaviors. Conclusions Although not consistently, adolescent siblings' weight‐related behaviors were significantly correlated as compared with parents' and adolescent siblings' weight‐related behaviors. It may be important to consider including siblings in adolescent obesity prevention interventions or in recommendations healthcare providers give to adolescents regarding their weight and weight‐related behaviors.