Association of parental and children behaviors with the health status of preschool children.
BACKGROUND
Parental and children behaviors can be associated with health promotion and illness prevention in preschool children.


METHODS
We interviewed mothers of 804 out of 1000 households with children aged 3 to 5 years randomly sampled in Tokyo, in 1997. Child health status was categorized as: "good", that is, good general health with no sick days; "poor", that is, fair to poor with frequent sick days; or "moderate". RESULTS.: Good health status was associated with playing outside (OR=1.19, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.37) and family income (OR=1.38-1.78, depending on family income). Mothers of children with poor health were less likely to have good health behavior themselves (OR=0.76, 95% CI: 0.64, 0.90) and were more often sick (OR=1.55, 95% CI: 1.24, 1.94).


CONCLUSIONS
Outdoor playing, good health practice of the mother and high income are associated with a better health status of urban preschool children.
Health Promotion/International Health and Medicine, Division of Public Health, Graduate School of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, 113-8519, Tokyo, Japan.
Miki
M
Watanabe
Keiko
K
Nakamura
Yoshiharu
Y
Fukuda
Takehito
T
Takano
D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012919:Social Behavior; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors