title: Family physical activity and meal practices associated with disordered weight control behaviors in a multiethnic sample of middle-school youth.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Family practices around weight-related behaviors can shape children's development of disordered weight control behaviors (DWCB), such as vomiting, taking laxatives, or taking diet pills without a prescription. This study examined family meal and physical activity (PA) practices associated with DWCB among a multiethnic sample of youth.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed self-report data on frequency of family sit-down dinners, types of parental involvement in their children's PA, and DWCB are from 15,461 6th to 8th grade girls and boys in 47 middle schools participating in the Massachusetts Healthy Choices Study at baseline (2005).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Youth who had family sit-down dinners every day had lower odds of DWCB (girls: odds ratio [OR] 0.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.2-0.5; boys: OR 0.6; 95% CI 0.4-0.9) than youth who never had family sit-down dinners. Similar effect estimates were found for youth who had family sit-down dinners most days. Parental provision of rides to and from a PA event was also found to be protective against DWCB among girls (OR 0.7; 95% CI 0.5-0.9). In contrast, parental participation in PA with their children was associated with increased risk for DWCB (girls: OR 1.4; 95% CI 1.0-1.8; boys: OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.4-2.4). These associations did not differ by race/ethnicity or weight status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Programs emphasizing the importance of family meals may be beneficial in preventing DWCB in youth of all ethnicities. Further research is needed on how various methods of parental involvement in their children's PA are associated with DWCB.
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA. Monica.Wang@umassmed.edu
authors.forename: Monica L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Karen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: Tracy K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Richmond
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spadano-Gasbarro
authors.forename: Mary L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Greaney
authors.forename: Solomon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mezgebu
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McCormick
authors.forename: S Bryn
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Austin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D015444:Exercise; D005190:Family; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: disordered weight control; family; meals; physical activity; youth