ESPE Abstracts

Background: Childhood is crucial for forming healthy habits. Childhood obesity is particularly concerning as it often predicts obesity in adulthood and increases the risk of morbidity and mortality, posing a significant public health concern. The causes of childhood obesity are multifaceted, involving attitudes, parenting styles, beliefs, knowledge, and behaviors of parents, all of which have a decisive impact on the risk factors associated with childhood obesity. The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between a family intervention program designed to treat overweight children at "Maccabi Active" centers, part of an Israeli health organization, and the health attitudes, behaviors, and BMI of the parents. Additionally, the study aims to determine whether changes in parental attitudes and behaviors are associated with the success of the program among the children.

Methods: This study utilized a quantitative, longitudinal prospective design based on structured questionnaires. The sample comprised 99 parents of overweight children aged over six years. Of these, 71 parents participated in a family intervention program to treat overweight children at "Maccabi Active" centers, part of an Israeli health organization, for a duration of 4 to 6 months. The remaining 28 parents did not participate in the program.

Findings: The intervention program led to a notable enhancement in the positive attitudes of parents towards nutrition, as well as a reduction in negative eating habits exhibited by both parents and their children. Moreover, there was an improvement observed in parental self-efficacy concerning health-related matters. Significant correlations were identified between the variables of parents and the success of their children in the program. There was no discernible alteration in parents' attitudes towards physical activity. Initially, a predominance of authoritarian parenting style was observed among the parents, which persisted throughout the intervention program. However, a decrease in the number of parents characterized by a dictatorial parenting style was noted post-study. No changes in the Body Mass Index (BMI) of the parents were observed after the program.

Conclusions: The intervention program demonstrated effectiveness in enhancing parents' positive attitudes towards nutrition, mitigating negative eating habits among both parents and children, and bolstering parental self-efficacy regarding health matters. However, it proved ineffective in eliciting changes in attitudes and behavior patterns related to physical activity and the Body Mass Index (BMI) of the parents. Moreover, it was observed that parents who did not change were associated with less success in their children's outcomes within the program.