Parental cultural perspectives in relation to weight-related behaviors and concerns of African-American girls.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether cultural perspectives of parents may influence children's eating and physical activity behaviors and patterns of weight gain.


METHODS
African-American girls (ages 8 to 10 years) and their parents (or caregivers) (n = 210) participated at one of four Girls Health Enrichment Multisite Studies Phase 1 Field Centers. At baseline, parents completed questionnaires adapted from the African-American Acculturation Scale (AAAS), the Multiethnic Identity Scale (MEIS), and an original question on Global Cultural Identity. Girls' baseline measures included physical activity assessment by accelerometer, 24-hour dietary recalls, and questionnaires about body image and weight concerns.


RESULTS
Principal components analysis indicated the expected AAAS and MEIS factor structures, with moderate to good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.61 to 0.82) and some intercorrelation among these measures (r = 0.17 to 0.57). Overall mean (SD) AAAS subscale scores of 4.1 (2.1) and 5.5 (1.8) of a possible 7 and 3.0 (0.9) of a possible 4 on the MEIS indicated, respectively, moderate to high levels of parental African-American cultural orientation and identity with moderate variability. Parental AAAS and MEIS scores were inversely correlated with girls' body image discrepancy and weight concern. One AAAS subscale was positively associated with total energy intake and percentage energy from fat. Overall, however, parental AAAS and MEIS scores were unrelated or inconsistently related to girls' physical activity and diet measures.


CONCLUSIONS
The AAAS and MEIS measures had acceptable psychometric properties, except for weight concern, but did not give a consistent picture of how parental perspectives related to the girls' baseline attitudes and behaviors.
Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA. bbeech@memphis.edu.
Bettina M
BM
Beech
Shiriki K
SK
Kumanyika
Tom
T
Baranowski
Marsha
M
Davis
Thomas N
TN
Robinson
Nancy E
NE
Sherwood
Wendell C
WC
Taylor
George
G
Relyea
Ainong
A
Zhou
Charlotte
C
Pratt
Ayisha
A
Owens
Nikko S
NS
Thompson
D000069:Acculturation; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001828:Body Image; D001835:Body Weight / Q000208:ethnology; D002648:Child; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000208:ethnology*; D005006:Ethnicity; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011594:Psychometrics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States