Family Social Support and Weight-Related Behaviors of School-Age Children: An Exploratory Analysis

Families are a key provider of support that may encourage positive weight-related behaviors. Yet little is known about the relation of family support to children's performance of weight-related behaviors. Mothers (N = 524) who completed an online survey were categorized as having low, moderate, or high family support for fruit/vegetable intake, breakfast intake, limiting sugar-sweetened beverage intake, physical activity, limiting sedentary screentime, and sleep. ANOVA revealed that children in families with high support for breakfast ate this meal significantly more often. Additionally, children in families with low support for limiting sugar-sweetened beverages had significantly greater intake. Surprisingly, families with moderate support for physical activity and sleep tended to have children with lower physical activity level, sleep duration, and sleep quality, and fewer days/week with set bedtimes than those with low and high support. Binomial logistic regression revealed that high family support for eating breakfast, limiting sugar-sweetened beverages, and getting sufficient sleep had greater odds of meeting recommendations for these behaviors. Findings suggest that greater family support for healthy weight-related behaviors tends to be associated with children's performance of these behaviors. Future interventions should further examine the impact of different types of family support on weight-related behaviors to better understand this complex interplay.