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. 2024 Mar 7;19(3):e0283455.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283455. eCollection 2024.

Association between children's caregivers time preferences and childhood overweight and obesity in Mexico

Mariana Molina  1 , Godefroy Emmanuel Guindon  1   2   3 , Laura N Anderson  1   2   4 , Jean-Eric Tarride  1   2   5   6
Affiliations

Association between children's caregivers time preferences and childhood overweight and obesity in Mexico

Mariana Molina et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: Parents or children's primary caregivers are a key influence on child weight as both decision makers and role models for eating patterns, physical activity, and other social behaviors. It is unknown whether caregivers' time preferences are associated with overweight or obesity in children. The primary objective was to estimate the association between parents' or caregivers' time preferences and children having overweight or obesity in Mexico.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a representative survey of the Mexican population. A multinomial logistic model was used to examine the association between parents' or caregivers' time preferences (patience and time consistency) and child overweight or obesity, adjusting for potential confounders.

Results: The study included 9,102 children (mean age 10, 43% female) and 5,842 caregivers (mean age 37; 95% female). Intertemporal preference was strongly associated with increased odds of overweight or obesity in children. A medium patient caregiver had higher odds of having overweight (adjusted OR: 1.73; 95% CI: 1.19, 2.52). Similarly, having a caregiver with a present (OR: 2.52; 95% CI: 1.72, 3.70) or future bias (OR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.98) was associated with higher odds of obesity.

Conclusion: Caregivers' time preferences were associated with having overweight and obesity in children and should be considered when developing policies to reduce children's obesity status.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Survey’s trade-off to measure time preferences.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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