The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree: is there a connection between the body mass indexes of adolescents and their parents?

Aybala Tazeoglu; Yasemin Ergul

doi:10.1515/ijamh-2024-0056

Article

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree: is there a connection between the body mass indexes of adolescents and their parents?

Aybala Tazeoglu and Yasemin Ergul

Published/Copyright: June 12, 2024

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From the journal International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health Volume 36 Issue 3

Abstract

Objectives

Adolescent cases suffering from obesity tend to increase in middle-income countries. This study focused on the relationship between adolescent obesity and parents body mass index (BMI) and the variables of satisfaction, diet implementation and sports promotion.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted among adolescents living in the Mediterranean region (n=522, evaluated n=488). Anthropometric measurements were taken by expert researchers and data were collected using face-to-face survey technique.

Results

The average BMI of the adolescents and parents’ was found to be above normal values. In adolescents, there was a positive and very good correlation with maternal BMI (r=0.711, p<0.01), a positive and moderate correlation with paternal BMI (r=0.512, p<0.01); In girl adolescents, it was positively and very well with maternal BMI (r=0.731, p<0.01), positively and moderately with father BMI (r=0.549, p<0.01); In boy adolescents, a positive and good correlation was found with maternal BMI (r=0.698, p<0.01), and a positive and moderate correlation with paternal BMI (r=0.459, p<0.01). In the analyzes comparing those who thought obesity threatened them (group 1) and those who did not think it threatened them (group 2), there was a statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of BMI distribution, satisfaction with body weight, diet program implementation, diet recommendation by the family and sports encouragement (p<0, 05).

Conclusions

In a cross-sectional perspective paternal obesity is also significant in adolescents and the correlation with maternal obesity is relatively more effective. Also includes evidence of individual efforts and parental contribution in adolescents who see obesity as a threat.

Keywords: adolescent; body mass index; adolescent nutrition science; parents

Corresponding author: Aybala Tazeoglu, PhD, MSc, Nutrition and Dietetics, Health Sciences Faculty, Osmaniye Korkut Ata University, Osmaniye, Türkiye, E-mail: aybalatazeoglu@osmaniye.edu.tr

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Osmaniye Korkut Ata University and Bandirma Onyedi Eylul University from Turkey. The authors wish to thank the study participants and the Departments of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Research ethics: Ethics committee approval was received for this study the Osmaniye Korkut Ata University Science Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Committee (2023/3/7).
Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.
Author contributions: Concept – AT, YE; Design – AY, YE; Supervision – AT, YE; Materials – AT, YE; Data Collection and/or Processing – AT, YE; Analysis and/or Interpretation – AT, YE; Literature Search – AT, YE; Writing Manuscript – AT, YE; Critical Review – AT, YE.
Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.
Research funding: The authors declared that this study has received no financial support.
Data availability: The raw data can be obtained on request from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Received: 2024-04-04

Accepted: 2024-05-28

Published Online: 2024-06-12

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https://doi.org/10.1515/ijamh-2024-0056

Keywords for this article

adolescent; body mass index; adolescent nutrition science; parents