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The effect of the home environment on physical activity and dietary intake in preschool children

International Journal of Obesity volume 37, pages 1314–1321 (2013)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background:

The effects of the home environment on child health behaviors related to obesity are unclear.

Purpose:

To examine the role of the home physical activity (PA) and food environment on corresponding outcomes in young children, and assess maternal education/work status as a moderator.

Methods:

Overweight or obese mothers reported on the home PA and food environment (accessibility, role modeling and parental policies). Outcomes included child moderate–vigorous PA (MVPA) and sedentary time derived from accelerometer data and two dietary factors (‘junk’ and healthy food intake scores) based on factor analysis of mother-reported food intake. Linear regression models assessed the net effect (controlling for child demographics, study arm, supplemental time point, maternal education/work status, child body mass index and accelerometer wear time (for PA outcomes)) of the home environment on the outcomes and moderation by maternal education/work status. Data were collected in North Carolina from 2007 to 2011.

Results:

Parental policies supporting PA increased MVPA time, and limiting access to unhealthy foods increased the healthy food intake score. Role modeling of healthy eating behaviors increased the healthy food intake score among children of mothers with no college education. Among children of mothers with no college education and not working, limiting access to unhealthy foods and role modeling reduced ‘junk’ food intake scores whereas parental policies supporting family meals increased ‘junk’ food intake scores.

Conclusions:

To promote MVPA, parental policies supporting child PA are warranted. Limited access to unhealthy foods and role modeling of healthy eating may improve the quality of the child’s food intake.

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Acknowledgements

All phases of this study were supported by a grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH), National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01-DK-07549). Dr Zucker was supported by Grant 1-K23-MH-070-418-01. Dr Fuemmeler was supported by Grant 1-K07-CA-124-905-01. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Duke University Health System on 06/14/2008 and is registered with Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00563264). Thanks to Ms Chandima Arambepola for careful editing of this manuscript. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Community and Family Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

    T Østbye, M Stroo & B Fuemmeler

  2. Program in Health Services and Systems Research, Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School, Singapore

    T Østbye & R Malhotra

  3. Department of Nutrition, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA

    C Lovelady

  4. Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

    R Brouwer

  5. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

    N Zucker

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  1. T Østbye
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Correspondence to T Østbye.

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Østbye, T., Malhotra, R., Stroo, M. et al. The effect of the home environment on physical activity and dietary intake in preschool children. Int J Obes 37, 1314–1321 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2013.76

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Keywords

  • childhood obesity
  • home environment
  • parenting
  • physical activity
  • dietary intake

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