Associations Between Parental BMI and the Family Nutrition and Physical Activity Environment in a Community Sample

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between parental BMI and the family environment and determine if differences exist in child diet and physical activity related parenting behaviors by parental BMI in a community sample of families recruited through elementary schools in a local school district. We found an association between parental BMI category and family nutrition and physical activity (FNPA) score. Families with an underweight or normal weight parent had a larger proportion (64.3%) of high (indicating a healthier family environment) FNPA scores and families with an overweight or obese parent had a smaller proportion (45.2%) of high FNPA scores (χ ² = 5.247, P = 0.022). Families with a parent who was overweight or obese had 2.18 times the odds (95% CI 1.11–4.27) of being in the low FNPA (“less healthy” environment) group. Further, underweight/normal weight parents reported higher levels of monitoring of child diet (Z = −3.652, P < 0.0001), higher levels of parental monitoring of child physical activity (Z = −3.471, p < 0.001), and higher levels of parental limit setting related to child sedentary activities compared to overweight/obese parents (Z = −2.443, P = 0.01). Parent BMI and parenting behaviors are known to have a major impact on childhood obesity. In this study, lower parent BMI and authoritative parenting behaviors were associated with a less obesogenic home environment and a positive parenting style related to child eating and physical activity behaviors.