Display options
Cite
Assari S, Caldwell CH. Low Family Support and Risk of Obesity among Black Youth: Role of Gender and Ethnicity. Children (Basel). 2017;4(5)doi: 10.3390/children4050036.
Assari, S., & Caldwell, C. H. (2017). Low Family Support and Risk of Obesity among Black Youth: Role of Gender and Ethnicity. Children (Basel, Switzerland), 4(5), . https://doi.org/10.3390/children4050036
Assari, Shervin, and Caldwell, Cleopatra Howard. "Low Family Support and Risk of Obesity among Black Youth: Role of Gender and Ethnicity." Children (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 4,5 (2017). doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/children4050036
Assari S, Caldwell CH. Low Family Support and Risk of Obesity among Black Youth: Role of Gender and Ethnicity. Children (Basel). 2017 May 12;4(5). doi: 10.3390/children4050036. PMID: 28498351; PMCID: PMC5447994.
Copy Download .nbib Format: NLM
Share it on

Children (Basel). 2017 May 12;4(5). doi: 10.3390/children4050036.

Low Family Support and Risk of Obesity among Black Youth: Role of Gender and Ethnicity.

Children (Basel, Switzerland)

Shervin Assari, Cleopatra Howard Caldwell

Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. [email protected].
  2. Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture and Health, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA. [email protected].
  3. Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture and Health, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA. [email protected].
  4. Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA. [email protected].

PMID: 28498351 PMCID: PMC5447994 DOI: 10.3390/children4050036

Abstract

Most studies on the role of family environment in developing risk of obesity among youth have focused on parenting behaviors that are directly involved in energy balance in regional, non-representative White samples. Using a national sample of ethnically diverse Black youth, the current study tested the association between low family support and risk of obesity. We also tested the heterogeneity of this association based on gender, ethnicity, and their intersection. We used data from the National Survey of American Life-Adolescent Supplement (NSAL-A), a national survey of Black adolescents in the United States. The study enrolled 1170 African American and Caribbean Black 13-17 year old youth. Obesity was defined based on the cutoff points of body mass index (BMI) appropriate for age and gender of youth. Family support was measured using a five-item measure that captured emotional and tangible social support. Age, gender, and ethnicity were also measured. Logistic regressions were utilized in the pooled sample, and also based on gender, ethnicity, and their intersection, to test the link between low family support and risk for obesity.

RESULTS: In the pooled sample, low family support was not associated with an increased risk of obesity (OR = 1.35, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 0.96-1.89). The association between low family support and risk of obesity was, however, significant among African American females (OR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.01-2.55). There was no association for African American males (OR = 1.26, 95% CI = 0.82-1.92), Caribbean Black males (OR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.01-54.85), and Caribbean Black females (OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.42-1.44). In conclusion, policies and programs that enable African American families to provide additional family support may prevent obesity among African American female youth. Future research should test the efficacy of promoting family support as a tool for preventing obesity among African American female youth.

Keywords: African Americans; ethnicity; family support; gender; parenting; social support; youth

References

  1. Am J Community Psychol. 2010 Mar;45(1-2):17-35 - PubMed
  2. Psychol Bull. 1985 Sep;98(2):310-57 - PubMed
  3. Int J Prev Med. 2014 Mar;5(3):247-9 - PubMed
  4. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2007 Apr;28(2):100-7 - PubMed
  5. Addiction. 2002 Mar;97(3):329-36 - PubMed
  6. Front Aging Neurosci. 2017 Jan 04;8:312 - PubMed
  7. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Apr;99(4):763-70 - PubMed
  8. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2015 Jun;23(6):559-67 - PubMed
  9. Am J Public Health. 2010 May;100(5):933-9 - PubMed
  10. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res. 2004;13(4):221-40 - PubMed
  11. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2011 Feb;65(2):143-50 - PubMed
  12. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2001 Feb;25(2):147-57 - PubMed
  13. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res. 2004;13(4):196-207 - PubMed
  14. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2011 Jul;19(7):1445-50 - PubMed
  15. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 May;71(5):1054-61 - PubMed
  16. Prev Med. 2008 Nov;47(5):498-503 - PubMed
  17. Arch Intern Med. 2002 Dec 9-23;162(22):2557-62 - PubMed
  18. Health Promot Int. 2016 Mar 13;:null - PubMed
  19. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2006 Jun;30(3):238-46 - PubMed
  20. J Afr Am Stud (New Brunsw). 2014 Jun 1;18(2):147-163 - PubMed
  21. J Sch Health. 2013 Mar;83(3):139-49 - PubMed
  22. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2015 Jun;2(2):200-10 - PubMed
  23. Iran J Psychiatry Behav Sci. 2016 May 16;10 (2):e3458 - PubMed
  24. J Fam Psychol. 2004 Dec;18(4):651-7 - PubMed
  25. JAMA. 2003 Jan 1;289(1):76-9 - PubMed
  26. Circulation. 2004 Nov 2;110(18):2952-67 - PubMed
  27. Womens Health (Lond). 2011 Jul;7(4):453-63 - PubMed
  28. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Apr;69(4):608-13 - PubMed
  29. Pediatrics. 2008 May;121(5):e1240-9 - PubMed
  30. Appetite. 2003 Aug;41(1):43-50 - PubMed
  31. Child Dev. 2003 Jan-Feb;74(1):189-204 - PubMed
  32. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2015 Sep;2(3):414-20 - PubMed
  33. Lancet. 1994 Feb 5;343(8893):324-7 - PubMed
  34. Addict Behav. 2009 Jan;34(1):51-60 - PubMed
  35. Public Health Rep. 2010 Sep-Oct;125(5):698-708 - PubMed
  36. Soc Sci Med. 2014 Jun;110:10-7 - PubMed
  37. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2013 Nov-Dec;45(6):643-51 - PubMed
  38. PLoS One. 2011;6(5):e19835 - PubMed
  39. Child Dev. 1987 Oct;58(5):1244-57 - PubMed
  40. Glob J Health Sci. 2014 Apr 07;6(4):63-75 - PubMed
  41. Am J Health Behav. 2009 Jul-Aug;33(4):339-52 - PubMed
  42. JAMA. 2013 Jul 17;310(3):280-8 - PubMed
  43. Infancy. 2013 Mar-Apr;18(2):149-183 - PubMed
  44. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2013 May;22(5):445-52 - PubMed
  45. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2016 Jun 28;:null - PubMed
  46. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2004 Jun;1021:363-70 - PubMed
  47. Adolescence. 1994 Summer;29(114):475-95 - PubMed
  48. J Soc Psychol. 2000 Jun;140(3):357-65 - PubMed
  49. Child Dev. 1990 Apr;61(2):311-46 - PubMed
  50. Soc Ment Health. 2013 Jul 1;3(2):null - PubMed
  51. Int J Prev Med. 2013 Feb;4(2):208-17 - PubMed
  52. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2015 Dec;2(4):481-93 - PubMed
  53. Arch Trauma Res. 2016 May 27;5(2):e31475 - PubMed
  54. Int J Adolesc Med Health. 2009 Oct-Dec;21(4):457-83 - PubMed
  55. Appetite. 2013 Apr;63:77-83 - PubMed
  56. Prev Med. 2002 Feb;34(2):266-78 - PubMed
  57. Child Obes. 2013 Aug;9 Suppl:S14-21 - PubMed
  58. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2006 Jul;63(7):824-30 - PubMed
  59. Appetite. 2014 May;76:166-74 - PubMed
  60. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1999 Nov;23 Suppl 8:S1-107 - PubMed
  61. Child Dev. 2014 Jan-Feb;85(1):308-25 - PubMed
  62. PLoS One. 2017 Jan 19;12 (1):e0170413 - PubMed
  63. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2010 Jul;28(1):30-5 - PubMed
  64. Arch Med Sci. 2010 Jun 30;6(3):399-406 - PubMed
  65. J Pediatr Psychol. 2010 Apr;35(3):243-9 - PubMed
  66. J Diabetes Metab Disord. 2015 May 28;14:47 - PubMed
  67. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2008 Oct;29(5):403-10 - PubMed
  68. Child Dev. 1994 Feb;65(1):212-24 - PubMed
  69. Dev Psychol. 2010 Sep;46(5):1372-9 - PubMed
  70. J Fam Psychol. 2006 Mar;20(1):1-11 - PubMed
  71. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2013 Jan;15(1):14-33 - PubMed
  72. J Fam Psychol. 2000 Sep;14(3):380-400 - PubMed
  73. Appetite. 2005 Feb;44(1):83-92 - PubMed
  74. Int J Prev Med. 2015 Nov 24;6:117 - PubMed
  75. Child Dev. 2004 Nov-Dec;75(6):1613-31 - PubMed
  76. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2016 Oct 17;:null - PubMed
  77. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2014 Feb 10;11:15 - PubMed
  78. Health Educ Res. 2004 Dec;19(6):644-56 - PubMed
  79. Ann Epidemiol. 2008 Jun;18(6):458-66 - PubMed
  80. J Res Adolesc. 2010 Sep 1;20(3):774-788 - PubMed
  81. Int Cardiovasc Res J. 2014 Apr;8(2):44-51 - PubMed
  82. Child Obes. 2013 Aug;9 Suppl:S87-94 - PubMed
  83. Child Dev. 2004 May-Jun;75(3):900-17 - PubMed
  84. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res. 2004;13(4):289-98 - PubMed
  85. Arch Neurol. 2005 Mar;62(3):386-90 - PubMed

Publication Types

Grant support