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Youth weight status and family functioning in paediatric primary care
Author(s) -
Pratt Keeley J.,
Van Fossen Catherine A.,
Berge Jerica M.,
Murray Robert,
Skelton Joseph A.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
clinical obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 1758-8111
pISSN - 1758-8103
DOI - 10.1111/cob.12314
Subject(s) - medicine , overweight , body mass index , obesity , descriptive statistics , primary care , gerontology , family medicine , statistics , mathematics , pathology
Summary The purpose of this study is to examine the associations between family functioning and youth overweight and obesity in a sample of primary care paediatric patients. Specially, we hypothesize that caregivers of youth with an overweight/obese weight status will report more impaired family functioning. A cross‐sectional descriptive study was conducted with 329 caregivers of youth ages 2 to 18 seen in paediatric primary care. Caregivers completed the Family Assessment Device General Functioning Scale and clinical demographics, including parent‐reported youth height and weight to calculate body mass index (BMI). Family functioning was used as a continuous total variable, and as a dichotomous variable based on clinically impaired or healthy family functioning. Analyses included descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlations, and independent t tests. Caregivers who reported impaired family functioning based on the clinical cutoff score were more likely to report that their youth had a higher BMI and BMI z ‐score. Caregivers with impaired family functioning and who identified as being in two‐parent families, with at least a Bachelor's degree, and a moderate to high family income were more likely to report their youth was a higher weight status. Further screening and assessment of family functioning in combination with youth weight status among a larger diverse sample of primary care paediatric patients over time will provide insight into what aspects of family functioning may contribute to maintaining a healthy lifestyle or adopting new health behaviours to prevent and/or treat obesity in youth.