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Chatzidaki E, Chioti V, Mourtou L, Papavasileiou G, Kitani RA, Kalafatis E, Mitsis K, Athanasiou M, Zarkogianni K, Nikita K, Kanaka-Gantenbein C, Pervanidou P. Parenting Styles and Psychosocial Factors of Mother-Child Dyads Participating in the ENDORSE Digital Weight Management Program for Children and Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Children (Basel) 2024; 11:107. [PMID: 38255420 PMCID: PMC10814028 DOI: 10.3390/children11010107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Childhood obesity is a complex disease with multiple biological and psychosocial risk factors. Recently, novel digital programs were developed with growing evidence for their effectiveness in pediatric weight management studies. The ENDORSE platform consists of mobile applications, wearables, and serious games for the remote management of childhood obesity. The pilot studies included 50 mothers and their children aged 6-14 years and resulted in a clinically significant BMI z-score reduction over 4 to 5 months. This secondary analysis of the ENDORSE study focuses on parenting styles and psychosocial factors. METHODOLOGY Semi-structured clinical interviews were conducted with all participating mothers pre-and post-intervention. The Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ) evaluated the mothers' parenting styles. The psychosocial functioning of the participating children was assessed with the parental version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The relationship between parenting styles, psychosocial parameters, and weight outcomes was investigated using a linear regression analysis. RESULTS Weight-related stigma at school (56%), body image concerns (66%), and difficulties in family relationships (48%) were the main concerns documented during the initial psychological interviews. According to the SDQ, there was a significant decrease in children's conduct problems during the study's initial phase (pre-pilot group). A decrease in maternal demandingness (i.e., strict parenting style) was associated with a decrease in BMI z-score (beta coefficient = 0.314, p-value = 0.003). CONCLUSION Decreasing parental demandingness was associated with better weight outcomes, highlighting the importance of assessing parenting factors in pediatric weight management programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evi Chatzidaki
- First Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece; (E.C.); (V.C.); (C.K.-G.)
| | - Vassiliki Chioti
- First Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece; (E.C.); (V.C.); (C.K.-G.)
| | - Lidia Mourtou
- Postgraduate Course on “The Science of Stress and Health Promotion”, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (L.M.); (G.P.); (R.-A.K.)
| | - Georgia Papavasileiou
- Postgraduate Course on “The Science of Stress and Health Promotion”, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (L.M.); (G.P.); (R.-A.K.)
| | - Rosa-Anna Kitani
- Postgraduate Course on “The Science of Stress and Health Promotion”, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (L.M.); (G.P.); (R.-A.K.)
| | - Eleftherios Kalafatis
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece; (E.K.); (K.M.); (M.A.); (K.Z.); (K.N.)
| | - Kostas Mitsis
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece; (E.K.); (K.M.); (M.A.); (K.Z.); (K.N.)
| | - Maria Athanasiou
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece; (E.K.); (K.M.); (M.A.); (K.Z.); (K.N.)
| | - Konstantia Zarkogianni
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece; (E.K.); (K.M.); (M.A.); (K.Z.); (K.N.)
- Department of Advanced Computing Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Engineering, Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Konstantina Nikita
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece; (E.K.); (K.M.); (M.A.); (K.Z.); (K.N.)
| | - Christina Kanaka-Gantenbein
- First Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece; (E.C.); (V.C.); (C.K.-G.)
- Postgraduate Course on “The Science of Stress and Health Promotion”, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (L.M.); (G.P.); (R.-A.K.)
| | - Panagiota Pervanidou
- First Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece; (E.C.); (V.C.); (C.K.-G.)
- Postgraduate Course on “The Science of Stress and Health Promotion”, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (L.M.); (G.P.); (R.-A.K.)
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