The relationship between parental health, family functioning and adolescent body mass index.

This study investigated the association between parental health and family functioning variables and adolescent body mass index (BMI). In this analysis of the 2003 National Survey of Children's Health (N=31,997), adolescent BMI was found to increase with age, male gender, poverty level, and being of White, Black, or Hispanic ethnicity. It was also positively associated with three family functioning variables (feeling that adolescent is much harder to care for; adolescent was doing things that really bothered the parent; frequency of eating meals together as a family for Whites and those of other races) and two parental health variables (positive perspective of the general health of the mother or father; and having a household member who smokes). On the other hand, adolescent BMI was found to decrease with a growing household size, being of American Indian or Native Alaskan ethnicity, and the frequency of physical activity among adolescents through aerobic exercise or engaging in biking, skateboarding, skating, or rollerblading. BMI was also lower with the ability of parent and child to share ideas or talk of things that really matter, a family functioning variable; and the frequent physical activity of the mother, a parental health variable. Although not found to be statistically significant, the following factors may have practical significance in addressing health issues in the home: degree of parental closeness with adolescent; availability of daily emotional help in parenting or caring for the adolescent; and parental feelings of anger at adolescent. The correlation of the aforementioned variables in the home with adolescent BMI in this national survey demonstrated that the family can impact the health of its members. Thus, it can be an appropriate setting for health promotion and disease prevention. Efforts by health professionals and policy makers to address parental health and family functioning may contribute to prevention of adolescent obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]