Associations between parent-adolescent health-related conversations and mealtime media use among Hispanic families

INTRODUCTION

Whereas parents play an important role in shaping the home environment, it is unknown whether health-related parent-adolescent conversations may be associated with different health-promoting parenting practices, such as limiting adolescent mealtime media use in Hispanic families.

METHOD

For this cross-sectional analysis, Hispanic parents (n = 344; 40.4 ± 6.6 years; 89.2% female) of sixth- to eighth-grade adolescents self-reported the frequency of having health- or weight-related conversations with their adolescent child, and the frequency of adolescent mealtime media device use. Spearman's rank correlations were used to assess whether parent-adolescent health-related conversations are associated with mealtime media device use by adolescents.

RESULTS

Over 75% of parents reported having conversations about healthy eating and being physically active at least a few times per week. Fewer parents reported having frequent weight-related conversations. Frequency of mealtime media use was low, except for television/movie watching (only 30% of parents reported their child rarely/never watching television during family meals). Having conversations related to the adolescent weighing too much was correlated with the mealtime use of television (r = .207; p < .001), cellphones (r = .134; p = .018), and headphones for music listening (r = .145; p = .010). Conversations about exercising to lose weight were correlated with television/movie watching during mealtimes (r = .129; p = .035).

DISCUSSION

Findings suggest the co-occurrence of less health-promoting parenting behaviors, such as focusing on weight-related conversations and allowing the use of media devices during mealtimes. Focusing on health- rather than weight-related parent-adolescent conversations and implementing mealtime media use rules may have the potential to shape a home food environment which ultimately could improve an adolescent's overall health outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Diet Outcomes from a Randomized Controlled Trial Assessing a Parenting Intervention Simultaneously Targeting Healthy Eating and Substance Use Prevention among Hispanic Middle-School Adolescents

Parents play a significant role in adolescent health behaviors; however, few nutrition interventions for Hispanic adolescents involve parents. This study assessed the effects of a 10-week parenting intervention simultaneously targeting nutrition and substance use prevention. Hispanic parent/6th-8th-grade adolescent dyads (n = 239) were randomized to Families Preparing the New Generation Plus (FPNG+; nutrition/substance use prevention), FPNG (substance use prevention only), or Realizing the American Dream (RAD; academic success control). Surveys assessed diet, alcohol use, substance use intentions, and substance use norms at baseline (T1), immediately post-intervention (T2), and at 16 weeks post-intervention (T3). Latent change modeling assessed diet changes; adolescent substance use outcomes were assessed using effect sizes. Among adolescents, those in FPNG+ increased fruit (+0.32 cup equivalents, p = 0.022) and fiber intake (+1.06 g, p = 0.048) and did not change added sugars intake at T2; those in FPNG and RAD reduced their intake of fruit and fiber (p < 0.05 for both). FPNG+ parents marginally increased fruit/vegetable intake (+0.17 cup equivalents, p = 0.054) and increased whole grains intake (+0.25-ounce equivalents, p < 0.05), in contrast to the reduction among RAD and FPNG parents (p < 0.05). Reductions in added sugar intake at T2 were greater among FPNG and FPNG+ parents relative to RAD parents (p < 0.05). FPNG+ and FPNG had comparable substance use outcomes (i.e., both had lower alcohol use and intentions to use substances relative to RAD). Engaging parents in a nutrition and substance use prevention parenting intervention yielded positive changes in dietary intake and maintained substance use prevention outcomes among their adolescent children.

Household Factors Associated With Home Food Availability Among Latinx Families With Middle School-Aged Children

Objectives

To examine household factors associated with home food availability among Latinx families with middle school-aged children.

Methods

Dyads of Latinx parents and a middle school-aged child enrolled in a trial testing the efficacy of a nutrition-enhanced school-based parenting intervention in a Southwestern metropolitan area. During a baseline home visit, trained research assistants used a culturally-adapted version of the home food inventory to count the number of different types of fruits, vegetables, and sugar-containing food items available in the home. The latter were disaggregated into white bread, high-sugar cereals, prepared and frozen desserts, and sugar-sweetened beverages and candies. Household factors included as independent variables were food insecurity, frequency of family meals, frequency of conversations about healthy eating, and household size. Poisson regression models accounting for clustered data at the school-level were used to assess associations.

Results

Of 108 participating households, 72.2% were food secure, 52.8% had ≥7 weekly family meals, 49.1% had conversations about healthy eating habits almost every day, and the mean household size was 5.4 ± 1.89 people. Households had 7.4 ± 3.0 different types of fruits, 9.9 ± 3.6 different types of vegetables, and 9.1 ± 4.1 different types of sugar-containing foods available. Compared to households where healthy eating conversations happened almost every day, those with fewer conversations had a lower count of fruits (Adjusted Incidence Rate Ratio [AIRR] 0.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.57–0.98). Compared to food secure households, low and very low food security was associated with a lower count of vegetables (AIRR 0.87, 95% CI 0.76–0.99; and 0.68, 0.56–0.83, respectively), and low food security was associated with a lower count of white bread. Compared to households with ≥7 weekly family meals, the count of all sugar subgroups, except white bread, was lower among households with lower frequency of family meals.

Conclusions

Results suggest that household food security and having family conversations around healthy eating habits are two relevant factors that may help improve the availability of fruits and vegetables among Latinx households.

Funding Sources

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.