What to do when you can’t (afford to) collect your own data? : a test case using the longitudinal study of Australian children to investigate the influence of parental context on media use and obesity

The dramatic rise in childhood obesity prevalence in the last two decades has prompted concern about the risk factors that may precipitate or maintain weight gain, or both, in early childhood. Media use has long been implicated in policy debates in Australia, particularly around limits to advertising. However the Australian research funding ecology and dominant paradigms in Australian communication and media studies have resulted in a lack of independent, nationally representative studies upon which to base advice. Australian researchers often can’t afford to collect the kind of data they would like in order to intervene productively as policy actors. As a test case for innovative ways round this dilemma, this paper mobilises secondary data analysis methodologies to explore potential influences of parenting on children’s media use and their weight status.

The research reported here uses data from the first three waves of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Results from a path model suggest that children of mothers who were less consistent in the way in which they enforce their rules were more likely to adopt unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, such as sedentary behaviour and consuming unhealthy snacks. Of the lifestyle behaviours considered, time spent watching television or DVDs was the only predictor of child weight status in late childhood. These results suggest a clear pathway linking consistent parenting and other parental practices, children’s lifestyle behaviours and weight status.

Reducing parental anxiety using a family based intervention for youth mental health : a randomized controlled trial

This paper presents findings on parent anxiety and attachment relationship style from the Deakin Family Options (DFO) pilot study, a randomized controlled pilot study comparing a family-based treatment (BEST Plus), versus a youth only treatment (CBT) versus a group who received both of these treatments (COMBINED). Eligible participants were families with a young person (aged 12 - 25 years) with a high prevalence mental health problem. Youth from participating families scored in the clinical or subclinical range for depression, anxiety and/or substance misuse symptoms on standardized measures during the initial assessment. The collected sample was drawn from regional and urban centers in Victoria, Australia and allocated to treatment condition using a simple randomization procedure (parallel design). It was hypothesized that families receiving the BEST Plus would experience greater reductions in youth and parent mental health symptoms, and improved parent-child relationships, compared with those in the CBT condition. This paper describes and discusses changes in parent anxiety and parent attachment, according to whether the parent participated in a treatment (BEST Plus) or did not (NONBEST Plus). Participants were blind to the study hypotheses. In total 71 parent participants returned pre data and were allocated to a treatment group. In this paper, data from parent participants who completed pre and post measures (n = 48) and pre, post, and 6-month follow-up measures (n = 28) on anxiety and attachment were analyzed by group (BEST Plus versus NONBEST Plus). The results of this study suggest that parent anxiety decreased significantly more following parent involvement in a group treatment, than for parents that did not receive treatment. Unexpectedly, avoidant attachment increased in the no treatment group, but remained relatively stable following the BEST Plus group. There were no significant findings in relation to compulsive traits and anxious attachment. These findings are discussed in light of the study limitations.

How parental and school responses to choice policies reconfigure a rural education market in Victoria, Australia

Market principles now dominate the education and social policies of many Anglophone countries, including Australia, but articulate differentially within specific contexts. Existing historical legacies, local economic and social conditions, and geographical settings interact with federal and state funding and transport policies to shape the nature of regional education markets and the choices families make in a rural school market in Australia. Through two school case studies, this article explores the effects of policy shifts on parental choice and student movement within a regional Victorian community. Informed by policy sociology, the article views the policy as a dynamic, often ad hoc process with contradictory effects. It indicates how an ensemble of federal and state funding and conveyancing policies enable some schools to develop marketing practices that reconstruct the local education market to their advantage through the introduction of transport and flexi-boarding policies. It demonstrates that education markets are not confined to urban settings and that while choice is not a new phenomenon in this rural area, federal and state funding and transport policies have reconfigured local markets and intensified the market work undertaken by schools and parents with, in this instance, unequal effects on the provision of schooling in a rural region.

Parental influences of the diets of 2-5-year-old children: systematic review of interventions

During the early years, parents have a major influence on their children’s diets, food choices and development of eating habits. However, research concerning the influence of parental feeding practices on young children’s diets is limited. This paper presents a systematic review of intervention studies with parents of preschool children. The aim was to investigate the effectiveness of interventions that target parent nutrition knowledge and/or parenting practices with parents of young children aged two to five years in the development of healthy dietary habits. Seventeen studies were identified. Findings highlight the limited number of good quality studies in this age group. Limitations include design inconsistency and a lack of longitudinal data to evaluate sustainability. Research on parental understanding of healthy diets and specific parenting styles and feeding practices is lacking. Further insights into how parents can positively influence children’s diets will come from quality longitudinal research examining both parent feeding practices and nutrition knowledge in this age group.

How do drug and alcohol use relate to parental bonding and risk perception in university students?

Alcohol and drug use are major health concerns on university and college campuses. It has previously been found that parental rearing patterns are related to the frequency of substance use. Further, perceptions that drug use is dangerous have been found to be related to less substance use. However, little research has directly examined the impact of parental rearing patterns on substance use by university students, and no research has examined the effects of both risk perception and parenting on substance use. Therefore, this research surveyed the frequency and extent of alcohol, cigarette and illicit drug use by students (N = 336) at a Canadian university residence, classes and health services and examined the relationship between the results with parental bonding and risk perception. It was found that “affectionless control” parenting patterns in the mother, but not the father, were related to greater drinking and drinking problems and to the use of illicit substances. Lower perceptions of risk were related to greater use of alcohol, cigarettes, cannabis and other illicit substances. Unexpectedly, there was little relationship between parental rearing and risk perceptions, suggesting that there are other avenues whereby parenting leads to greater alcohol use. Implications are discussed.

Parental factors associated with obesity in children with disability: a systematic review

The current literature on obesity in typically developing children shows that the family context, and specifically the way parents parent their children are major determinants of childhood obesity. The influence of these factors on obesity in children with disability, however, remains unclear. A systematic review of the literature was undertaken to identify the parental and parenting risk factors associated with obesity in children and adolescents with disability. Articles were identified through Medline, Academic Search Complete, PsycINFO, ProQuest, ISI, CINAHL, Cochrane and Scopus databases. There was no restriction on publication dates. The inclusion criteria were empirical papers that tested associations between parental and parenting risk factors and obesity in children and adolescents with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. Only 11 studies met the selection criteria and subsequently included in this review. Results suggest that obesity in children and adolescents with disability may be associated with socioeconomic status; parents' body mass index, perception and attitude towards their children's weight and physical activity; and levels of activity in both parents and children. Firm conclusions about these associations cannot be reached, however, due to mixed findings and methodological limitations of the studies. Recommendations for future research are provided.

How significant is partnership formation in area-based projects to increase parental attendance at maternal and child health services

Objectives: 

The relationship between the density of alcohol outlets and parental supply of alcohol to adolescents

This study investigated whether the number of alcohol outlets per 10,000 population in a given area (density) influenced parental supply of alcohol to adolescents; differences in Australian born and acculturating parents were also examined. A state-representative student survey in Victoria identified that the majority of adolescents (55%) reported that they had used alcohol in the past 12 months; 34 % of those who had consumed alcohol reported that it had been supplied by their parents. Multilevel modelling identified that there were no overall effects of density, however there were different effects based on parent country of birth and type of license. Specifically, each unit increase in the density of takeaway liquor stores increased the likelihood by 2.03 that children with both Australian-born parents would be supplied alcohol. Adolescents with both migrant parents on the other hand, had a 1.36 increased risk of being supplied alcohol as the density of outlets requiring at-venue consumption increased. The findings of this study suggest that in Australia, alcohol outlet density is associated with parental supply of alcohol to children, with this effect moderated by the cultural background of the parent and type of outlet density. Future research should investigate the association between the density of alcohol outlets and public approval of parents supplying alcohol to adolescents.

Exploring associations between parental and peer variables, personal variables and physical activity among adolescents: a mediation analysis

This study aimed to investigate how parental and peer variables are associated with moderate- to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) on week- and weekend days among Australian adolescents (13-15 y), and whether perceived internal barriers (e.g. lack of time), external barriers (e.g. lack of others to be physically active with) and self-efficacy mediated these associations.

Associations of parental rules and socioeconomic position with preschool children's sedentary behaviour and screen time

There is little current understanding of the influences on sedentary behaviour and screen time in preschool children. This study investigated socioeconomic position (SEP) and parental rules as potential correlates of preschool children's sedentary behaviour and screen time.