Shaking up the system: the role of change in maternal-adolescent communication quality and adolescent weight loss

Abstract

Objective: The association between directly observed mother-adolescent weight-related communication quality and adolescent percent overweight within the context of an adolescent weight control study was examined.

Methods: As part of a larger study examining the impact of a behavioral weight control intervention that included attention to parent-adolescent communication (Standard Behavioral Treatment + Enhanced Parenting, SBT + EP) compared with an efficacious Standard Behavioral Treatment (SBT), 38 mother-adolescent dyads participated in a weight-related videotaped discussion. Discussions were taped and collected pre- and postintervention.

Results: No significant differences emerged in the quality of mother-adolescent communication between SBT (n = 19) and SBT + EP (n = 19) participants, nor was baseline mother-adolescent communication quality associated with adolescents' weight loss in either condition. However, a decline in communication quality was associated with better outcomes for adolescents participating in the SBT group.

Conclusions: This study provides preliminary evidence that a change in mother-adolescent communication is associated with successful weight loss among adolescents.

Keywords: adolescents; parent-adolescent communication; weight management.

Figure 1.

Changes in adolescent percent overweight by Mother–Adolescent Communication category change and treatment condition. Note. Communication Change defined as (1) Improved: Communication ratings increased a category from pre- to postintervention; (2) Declined: Communication categories decreased a category from pre- to postintervention; (3) Maintained: Communication categories stayed the same from pre- to postintervention. d = Cohen’s d effect sizes where 0.2 = small, 0.5 = medium, and 0.8 = large.