A Research Review on Type of Child Rearing Practices and Childhood Obesity

Abstract

Parents can have an impact on their children’s dietary behavior,habits, and attitudes toward diet through their own parentingpractices. Due to rapid increase in the figures of childhood obesityresearchers in public health and related sciences have recentlyturned to concentrate on the causes from the family environment,especially on parental child rearing practices and parental feedingstyles. The purpose of this article is to review research studiesfocusing on the impact of child rearing practices on childhoodobesity. 14 articles related to child rearing practices and obesity inchildren and youth, published in the Appetite journal within 10 yearswere reviewed. The content analysis technique was applied toanalyze data. The results indicated that authoritative, supportive, andreasoning practices have a positive relationship with appropriatechildhood dietary behavior and following nutritional rules. Inaddition, these practices also balanced the weight status of thechildren and youth. Authoritarian, control, and strict practices haveadverse outcomes. Overeating, inappropriate diet and obesity wereaffected by the child rearing practices. Suggestions based on thefindings propose that authoritative parenting, using authoritative,supportive and reasoning behavior, is the desirable for child rearingpractice to inculcate childhood dietary behavior and normal weightstatus of children.

Keywords: child rearing practice, childhood obesity, research review