Background. The current study examined parental factors related to risk of adolescent obesity within the context of a family systems framework. Methods. Seventy predominantly African American, low-income caregiver-adolescent dyads participated in the study. Validated measures of parental perceived child risk for development of type 2 diabetes mellitus, parental limit setting for sedentary behavior, and parental nurturance were evaluated as predictors of adolescent body mass index. Results. In this cross-sectional study, multiple linear regression demonstrated that parents of adolescents with higher zBMI reported worrying more about their child's risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. Parent limit setting was also a significant predictor of adolescent zBMI. Contrary to expectations, higher levels of nurturance were associated with higher adolescent zBMI. Post hoc analyses revealed a trend towards a significant interaction between nurturance and limit setting, such that high levels of both parental nurturance and limit setting were associated with lower adolescent zBMI. Conclusions. Current findings suggest the importance of authoritative parenting and monitoring of adolescent health behaviors in the treatment of obesity. 1. Introduction Obesity has long been a major health concern among adults but more recently has become a public health priority among children and adolescents due to the increasing prevalence rates and associated health risks over the last three decades. Over 32% of children and adolescents in the United States are classified as overweight or obese, with the highest rates among ethnic minorities [1, 2]. Obesity places children at greater risk for a number of physical and mental health conditions including type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) [3]. However, the factors that determine childhood body weight are still not completely understood. Though it is clear that energy intake and energy expenditure are under genetic influence, it is also clear that genetic factors do not fully explain the current increases in the prevalence of overweight and obesity [4, 5]. Recent reviews indicate that parental involvement and parental monitoring of child health behaviors are important factors to consider in preventing and treating childhood obesity [6]. Some investigators have argued that the home environment is an important setting for shaping children's eating and physical activity (PA) behaviors and that parents are powerful change agents [7]. As such, primary and secondary prevention efforts are needed to focus on the treatment of obesity by
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