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. 2020;52(8):1436-1458.
doi: 10.1177/0044118x18815274. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Parenting With a Substance Abuse History: The Moderating Role of Parenting Behaviors on Obesity and Internalizing Symptoms in Adolescence

H Isabella Lanza  1 , Patricia Pittman  1 , Yih-Ing Hser  2
Affiliations

Parenting With a Substance Abuse History: The Moderating Role of Parenting Behaviors on Obesity and Internalizing Symptoms in Adolescence

H Isabella Lanza et al. Youth Soc. 2020.

Abstract

Although numerous studies have shown that child obesity is associated with internalizing symptoms, relatively few studies have examined the role of parenting behaviors on this relationship. Youth meeting obesity status may be at higher risk of psychosocial maladjustment when exposed to more vulnerable parenting contexts. The current study interviewed mothers with a history of substance abuse to assess whether parenting behaviors moderated the relationship between obesity and internalizing symptoms among adolescents (N = 160; 51% girls; M = 12.76 years). Hierarchical regression analyses identified physical discipline as a moderator; girls meeting obesity status displayed higher levels of internalizing symptoms when exposed to higher versus lower levels of physical discipline. Prevention/intervention efforts targeting mothers with substance abuse histories should aim to not only improve physical and emotional health but also highlight the connections between physical and emotional health and the influence of parenting behaviors on associations.

Keywords: internalizing symptoms; maternal substance abuse; obesity; parenting behaviors; physical discipline.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The association between obesity and internalizing symptoms among boys (upper panel) and girls (lower panel) experiencing low (1 SD below mean) versus high (1 SD above mean) maternal empathy.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
The association between obesity and internalizing symptoms among girls experiencing low (1 SD below mean) versus high (1 SD above mean) physical discipline.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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