Impact of the 'Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids' lifestyle programme on the activity- and diet-related parenting practices of fathers and mothers

Abstract

Objectives: The aim was to evaluate the impact of the 'Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids' programme on fathers' and mothers' activity- and diet-related parenting practices.

Methods: Overweight/obese fathers (n = 87) and their primary school-aged children (56% boys) were randomized to either (i) 7-week programme (n = 45) or (ii) control group (n = 42). The programme involved four sessions for fathers only and three for fathers/children. Mothers were not directly involved. Parenting practices of both fathers and mothers were measured using the parenting strategies for eating and activity scale at baseline and 14-week follow-up.

Results: Intention-to-treat analysis using linear mixed models revealed significant group-by-time effects for fathers' limit setting (P = 0.048, d = 0.36) and reinforcement for multiple lifestyle behaviours (P = 0.001, d = 0.79). No significant intervention effects were found for fathers' control, monitoring, discipline or mothers' parenting practices (P > 0.05).

Conclusions: The Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids programme had a positive impact on some parenting practices for fathers but not mothers.

Keywords: Children; intervention; obesity; parenting practices.