title: Parenting Self-Efficacy, Parent Depression, and Healthy Childhood Behaviors in a Low-Income Minority Population: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.
abstract: Objectives Childhood obesity prevention and treatment depends, in part, on parents acting as agents of change for their children. Our objective was to measure the associations between parenting self-efficacy, parent depressive symptoms, and preschool child behaviors that support healthy growth. Methods We performed a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a randomized controlled trial. Parenting self-efficacy was measured using a 5-item version of the Parenting Sense of Competence (PSOC-5) scale (α= 0.8). Parent depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CESD) scale. Child outcomes included diet (24 h diet recall), physical activity (accelerometry), sleep (parent-report), and media use during meals (parent-report). We performed separate multiple linear regressions for each outcome controlling for other covariates. Results The sample consisted of 601 parent-child pairs. Median child age was 4.3 (IQR 3.6-5.1) years; median child body mass index (BMI) percentile was 79.1% (IQR 66.8-88.5%); 90% of children were Hispanic/Latino, and 6% of children were non-Hispanic Black. Median parent age was 31.5 (IQR 27.6-36.0) years; 22% of parents met criteria for depression. Parenting self-efficacy (median PSOC-5 25; IQR 24-28) was negatively correlated with depressive symptoms (ρ = -0.16; p < 0.001). In adjusted models, higher parenting self-efficacy was associated with duration of child's sleep and fewer meals eaten in front of a TV (p < 0.001). There was a significant interaction of parenting self-efficacy and parental depressive symptoms on child sleep duration (p < 0.001). Parenting self-efficacy and depressive symptoms were not significantly associated with child physical activity or child diet. Conclusions In this minority population, higher parenting self-efficacy was associated with longer child sleep and fewer meals in front the TV, but parent depressive symptoms mitigated that protective effect for child sleep duration.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2146 Belcourt Avenue, 2nd Floor, Nashville, TN, 37212, USA. bill.heerman@vanderbilt.edu.
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Heerman
authors.affiliation: Division of General Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2146 Belcourt Avenue, 2nd Floor, Nashville, TN, 37212, USA.|Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, 110 Magnolia Circle, Nashville, TN, 37203, USA.
authors.forename: Julie Lounds
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 461 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA.
authors.forename: Kenneth A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Wallston
authors.affiliation: Division of General Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2146 Belcourt Avenue, 2nd Floor, Nashville, TN, 37212, USA.
authors.forename: Shari L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Barkin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D000072001:Diet, Healthy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016487:Parenting / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D011203:Poverty / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D020377:Self Efficacy; D057566:Self Report; D013690:Television / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013714:Tennessee / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology
keywords: Depression; Parenting; Pediatric obesity; Self-efficacy