DOI
https://doi.org/10.25772/HZER-Z033
Defense Date
2012
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Counseling Psychology
First Advisor
Marilyn Stern
Abstract
The home environment, parental health attitudes, and parental diet and exercise behaviors have been associated with childhood obesity. The current study utilized a family systems framework to examine the effect of these variables on weight and health changes in a primarily Black sample of 530 parent-adolescent dyads enrolled in a multidisciplinary weight loss intervention. Parent-reported psychosocial variables and demographic information were used to test models predicting changes in adolescents’ body mass index, cholesterol, and percentage body fat over the first six months of the intervention. The effect of parent participation in a psycho-education parent group on adolescent health outcomes was also examined. Several significant demographic, parental, and home environment predictors emerged in the models. By identifying specific aspects of the home environment, parent attitudes, and parent behavior to modify in interventions, these findings have significant implications for the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
June 2012