title: Mother-daughter resemblance in BMI and obesity-related behaviors.
abstract: This study sought to determine the association between mother-daughter resemblance in body mass index (BMI) and obesity-related behaviors and whether connectedness moderated those associations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-six girl scouts (ages 9 to 13 years) were objectively assessed for BMI and surveyed via questionnaire. Sixty-eight parents also completed questionnaires assessing height, weight, and obesity-related behaviors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant relationships were found for television viewing (beta = .351, p = .002), eating while watching television (beta = .468, p < .001), fruit consumption (beta = .374, p = .005) and vegetable consumption (beta = .243, p = .050). Connectedness moderated the maternal BMI and daughter BMI Z-score relationship (beta = .307, p = .026), and mother-daughter TV viewing (beta = .258, p = .043).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Connectedness may influence girls' BMI and behavioral resemblance to mothers. Specific pathways leading to greater similarity between parent and child relative weight need further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Nutrition, Youth Health Behavior Research Lab, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, USA. Ricardo@ksu.edu
authors.forename: Richard R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Rosenkranz
authors.forename: Abigail
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Dzewaltowski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013690:Television; D014481:United States