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. 2025 Mar 17;28(1):e58.
doi: 10.1017/S1368980025000278.

Exploring profiles of fathers integrating food and physical activity parenting practices

John A Jimenez-Garcia  1 , Louise C Mâsse  2 , Robert L Newton Jr  3 , Salma M Musaad  1 , Alicia Beltran  1 , Teresia M O'Connor  1
Affiliations

Exploring profiles of fathers integrating food and physical activity parenting practices

John A Jimenez-Garcia et al. Public Health Nutr. .

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to identify fathers' profiles integrating food parenting practices (FPP) and physical activity parenting practices (PAPP).

Design: We analysed cross-sectional data. The fathers completed the reduced FPP and PAPP item banks and socio-demographic and family dynamics (co-parenting and household responsibility) questionnaires. We identified fathers' profiles via latent profile analysis. We explored the influence of social determinants, child characteristics and family dynamics on fathers' profiles using multinomial logistic regression.

Setting: Online survey in the USA.

Participants: Fathers of 5-11-year-old children.

Results: We analysed data from 606 fathers (age = 38 ± 8·0; Hispanic = 37·5 %). Most fathers self-identified as White (57·9 %) or Black/African American (17·7 %), overweight (41·1 %) or obese (34·8 %); attended college (70 %); earned > $47 000 (62·7 %); worked 40 hrs/week (63·4 %) and were biological fathers (90·1 %). Most children (boys = 55·5 %) were 5-8 years old (65·2 %). We identified five fathers' profiles combining FPP and PAPP: (1) Engaged Supporter Father (n 94 (15·5 %)); (2) Leveled Father (n 160 (26·4 %)); (3) Autonomy-Focused Father (n 117 (19·3 %)); (4) Uninvolved Father (n 113 (18·6 %)) and (5) Control-Focused Father (n 122 (20·1 %)). We observed significant associations with race, ethnicity, child characteristics, co-parenting and household responsibility but not with education level, annual income or employment status. We observed significant pairwise differences between profiles in co-parenting and household responsibility, with the Engaged Supporter Father presenting higher scores in both measures.

Conclusions: Understanding how fathers' FPP and PAPP interact can enhance assessments for a comprehensive understanding of fathers' influences on children's health. Recognising the characteristics and differences among fathers' profiles may enable tailored interventions, potentially improving children's health trajectories.

Keywords: Co-parenting; Father–child; Latent profile analysis; Nutrition; Parenting practices; Physical activity; Social determinants of health.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Fathers’ profiles ordered by parenting practices.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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