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Latino adolescents face challenges to performing energy balance-related behaviors (EBRBs) to prevent childhood obesity, including healthy dietary intake, adequate physical activity, and limited screen time. Fathers are underrepresented in family-based obesity interventions but could be influential in shaping the EBRBs of Latino children. Three types of parenting practices (setting expectations/limits, role modeling, managing availability and accessibility) have shown relatively consistent positive relationships with children's EBRBs in studies that have mostly involved mothers. The purpose of this study was to develop measures to assess Latino fathers' parenting practices based on existing measurement instruments, focus groups and cognitive testing. Criterion validity of the measures (40 items) was examined with Latino fathers and their early adolescents (10-14 years old, n = 96 dyads) who were predominantly from low-income, two-parent households. Criterion validity was indicated by significantly higher intakes of fruit and vegetables; lower intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages, sweets/salty snacks and fast foods; more weekly physical activity hours; and fewer daily screen time hours among adolescents who reported high versus low levels/frequencies of supportive parenting practices. In addition, nearly all scales of adolescent-reported paternal behavioral modeling and availability/accessibility practices were significantly correlated with adolescents' corresponding EBRBs (r = 0.22 to 0.54). However, poor validity and agreement with early adolescents' reports were found for most father-reported parenting practices. Overall, this study indicated that the measures were acceptable for assessing adolescents' report of Latino fathers' parenting practices around EBRBs. The findings also indicate the importance of including early adolescents' reports in measuring paternal parenting practices.

Objective: This secondary analysis of longitudinal data on Latino immigrant parents applied latent change modeling to investigate the association between within‐family change in parent–child conflict and within‐individual change in parent's psychological distress, and how within‐individual change in parenting stress mediates that association over time. Background: Immigrant parents face additional challenges when parenting their children. There is limited research regarding how parent–child conflict may influence parenting stress and parents' overall well‐being, in particular in Latino immigrant families. Method: Secondary analysis was conducted on data from a sample of 344 Latino immigrant parents who participated in a community‐based parenting skills invention. In the original intervention study, they were assigned randomly to intervention or waitlist control groups and assessed at three points: baseline, 4 months (post‐intervention), and a follow‐up 10 months after the baseline assessment. Results: Across 4 months, change in parent–child conflict was significantly associated with changes in parenting stress and psychological distress, whereas across 10 months, change in parent–child conflict was only associated with change in psychological distress. The indirect effects through parenting stress were non‐significant. However, participating in the intervention had a protective indirect effect by reducing parenting stress across 4 months and reducing psychological distress across 10 months via change in parent–child conflict. Conclusion: Changes in parent–child relations were related to changes in parents' individual well‐being, with those associations varying across different time periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Padres Preparados, Jóvenes Saludables is a family-skills intervention for immigrant Latino fathers and youth (10-14 years) to improve youth energy balance-related behaviors and positive parenting practices. A randomized-controlled trial (n = 240 youth, 240 fathers, half in an intervention and half in a delayed-intervention control group) is being conducted in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area at five community sites from 2017 – 2020 based on a multi-site staggered implementation schedule. Each of the eight program sessions follows an experiential learning cycle, including activities for families to prepare food and be physically active together, for parents to strengthen positive parenting practices (setting expectations, availability, modeling), and for parents and children to improve diet and physical activity outcomes. The program for the delayed-intervention control group is being delivered via a blended approach with three sessions via a mobile app and five sessions in person with accompanying evaluation procedures. Assessments are being made in both arms at baseline and post-program and follow-up (three months post-program). Expected outcomes include improved youth intake of fruits and vegetables (FV), sugary drinks (SSBs), salty snacks/sweets, fast food, physical activity and screen time and related parenting practices. Baseline data from all current participants were examined for associations between youth-reported EBRB-specific parenting practices, father socio-demographic characteristics and family meal frequency. Few significant associations were noted between parenting practices and father socio-demographic characteristics; however, FV and fast food parenting practices were positively associated with family meal frequency and father involvement in meal preparation. Interim data analysis from ∼100 fathers and youth showed that father-reported parenting practices were improved from pre- to post-program for setting expectations for FV, SSBs and physical activity and modeling regarding fruit, fast food and screen time behaviors. Father-reported intakes of FV and SSBs were improved. Interim analysis showed positive findings regarding improvements in father-reported parenting practices and behaviors. Full data collection and analysis are expected to be completed in two years. 2016-68001-24921. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]