Interpersonal influences on the dietary practices of obese adolescent females and their mothers

INTRODUCTION: Obesity rates are highest among U.S. adolescent females and women, and interpersonal relationships have been identified as a significant influence on people’s behavior and health. Therefore, this study explored obese adolescent females’ and their mothers' perceptions of how people in their daily life influence their dietary practices of eating, cooking, and food shopping.

METHODS: A descriptive, exploratory study was conducted with an ethnically-diverse sample of 15 obese adolescent females and 12 of their mothers. Participants were recruited following their initial visit to a North Carolina childhood obesity clinic. Three adolescent female and three mother focus groups were conducted, and content analysis techniques were used to analyze the transcribed interviews.

RESULTS: Parents were considered the most influential interpersonal relationship to obese adolescent females’ dietary practices, and seven types of influences from parents were identified: Controlling, Supporting and Cultivating, Overlooking, Acquiescing, Providing, Attending, and Vacating and Resigning. Among mother focus groups, children were considered the most influential relationship affecting dietary practices, and two types of influences from children were identified: Intentional and Unintentional Influences.

DISCUSSION: Findings indicate the presence of bidirectional, mutual influences between parents and children and the need for practitioners to systematically address influences from both parents and children to prevent and treat childhood obesity. However, given the limited obesity research that explores children and adolescents as active influencing agents, additional research is required to understand the complex, reciprocal social processes occurring between parents and children which subsequently influence child obesity-associated dietary outcomes.