How Beliefs About Weight Malleability and Risk Perceptions for Obesity Influence Parents' Information Seeking and Feeding

Overview

Journal J Health Psychol

Publisher Sage Publications

Specialty Psychology

Date 2021 Dec 10

PMID 34886689

Citations 1

Authors

Charlotte J Hagerman

Rebecca A Ferrer

Susan Persky

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

This study surveyed 185 parents to determine whether their perceived risk of their child developing obesity and their implicit theories about the malleability of weight independently and/or interactively predict their child-feeding and pursuit of child-related obesity risk information. Higher risk perceptions were associated with healthier feeding intentions and more information seeking. More incremental (malleable) beliefs predicted healthier feeding intentions and greater pursuit of environmental, but not genetic, information. Contrary to hypotheses, the influence of implicit theories and risk perceptions were primarily independent; however, more incremental beliefs predicted less "junk food" feeding among only parents with lower perceived risk.

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PMID: 39305433 PMC: 11499518. DOI: 10.1007/s10865-024-00514-1.

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