What's Mom and Dad Got to Do With It? Factors Related Between Mothers', Fathers', and Young Children's Weight Bias. Issue 6 (1st November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hutchison, Sarah M.; Müller, Ulrich
• Is Part Of: Journal of genetic psychology. Volume 181:Issue 6(2020)
• Page Start: 506
• Page End: 512
• Publication Date: 2020-11-01
• Subjects: Weight stigma -- anti-fat attitudes -- mothers -- fathers -- controllability beliefs; Developmental psychology -- Periodicals; Child psychology -- Periodicals; Human behavior -- Periodicals; Psychology, Comparative -- Periodicals; 155
• DOI: 10.1080/00221325.2020.1808566
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-1325

Abstract

Abstract: Our aim was to examine the role of parents in the transmission of weight bias to young children. Specifically, we assessed mothers' and fathers' weight bias and beliefs about the controllability of weight, and fear of fat in relation to their children's weight bias. Eighty-three mothers, 57 fathers, and their children (4- to 7-year-olds) participated. We failed to find any significant associations between children's weight bias, maternal responses, and most paternal responses. Only fathers' dislike of adults with overweight had daughters with more positive views of overweight figures. These results suggest that parents do not appear to contribute to the weight bias of preschoolers and their influence may only emerge in middle childhood. The present study also suggests that more work on the psychometric properties of weight bias scales and tasks to measure weight bias in children is vital to accurately evaluate interventions to decrease weight bias.