title: Composite measures quantify households' obesogenic potential and adolescents' risk behaviors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to generate composite measures quantifying a household's obesogenic potential and to examine the relationship of the composite variables with older children's eating, physical activity (PA), and small screen recreation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were from surveys with 1685 child-parent pairs in which the child was in grade 6, 8, or 10 (mean age: 14 years). Composite measures of the obesogenic household environment were generated from 11 measures using nonlinear principal components analysis. Associations between the composite measures and the children's healthy and unhealthy food intake, PA, and screen time were tested (adjusting for demographic characteristics).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two scales were generated: (1) obesogenic control, which clustered together factors that mitigate risk; and (2) obesogenic risk. Higher scores on the control scale were associated with higher adolescent intake of healthy foods, lower intake of unhealthy foods, higher PA, and less screen time. Higher scores on the risk scale were associated with lower adolescent intake of healthy foods, higher intake of unhealthy foods, lower PA, and more screen time. There were significant 2-way interactions between the scales for soft drink consumption and PA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Household obesogenic potential may be quantified as 2 factors reflecting cumulative risk and control practices. These factors have both additive associations with obesogenic behaviors and, in some cases, modify each other, suggesting that a healthy home environment requires attention to both. Health promotion messages could incorporate these 2 different but interacting factors that parents can use to modify the obesogenic potential of their household.
authors: PANORG, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, NSW Australia, Level 2, Medical Foundation Building K25, Camperdown New South Wales 2006 Australia. anne.grunseit@sydney.edu.au
authors: Anne Carolyn
authors: AC
authors: Grunseit
authors: Alan J
authors: AJ
authors: Taylor
authors: Louise Lawson
authors: LL
authors: Hardy
authors: Lesley
authors: L
authors: King
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012309:Risk-Taking; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires