Child demographics and weight-related Concerns and behaviors |
Race/ethnicity |
Ethnicity was assessed with the question: Do you think of yourself as Hispanic/Latino (yes/no). Race was assessed with question: |
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“Do you think of yourself as: 1) White; 2) Black/African-American; 3) Asian-American; 4) Hmong; 5) American-Indian; 6) Other.” |
BMI |
Height and weight measures were assessed by trained research staff using standardized equipment and procedures (Lohman, Roche, & Martorell, 1988). Age and sex-specific BMI z-scores were calculated based on the Center for Disease Control growth charts, which are age and sex specific (Kuczmarski et al., 2000). |
Child's weight concern |
Four-item scale: “In the past month, how often have you: (a) thought about having fat on your body; (b) felt fat; (c) worried about gaining 2 pounds; and (d) thought about wanting to be thinner?” Response options were never, sometimes, often, and almost always. Cronbach's α = .80 (Shisslak et al., 1999) |
Child's body dissatisfaction |
Five-item scale: (a) “My weight makes me unhappy,” (b) “I like what I see in the mirror,” (c) “I think I have a good body,” (d) “I’m proud of my body,” and (e) “Most people have a nicer body than me.” Yes/no. Cronbach's α = .74 (Mendelson & White, 1982; Smolak et al., 1999) |
Child's dieting behavior |
One item: “Have you gone on a diet in the past month? By diet we mean change the way you eat so you can lose weight.” Yes/no. |
Parental weight-related behaviors (child and parent report) |
Parental weight-related behaviors were assessed via child and parent report. A description of child survey items is provided below; similar items were used on parent survey with minor wording modifications (e.g., In the past month, how often have you or your spouse or partner made a comment to this child about their weight). |
Parental comments: Child's weight |
One item: “In the past month, how often have your parents/guardians made a comment to you about your weight that made you feel bad.” Response options were: (a) never; (b) once a month; (c) a few times a month; and (d) at least once a week. |
Parental encouragement to diet |
One item: “In the past month, how often have your parents/guardians encouraged you to lose weight.” Response options were: (a) never; (b) once a month; (c) a few times a month; and (d) at least once a week. |
Parental dieting |
One item: “In the past month, how often have your parents/guardians: (a) gone on a diet.” Response options were: (a) never; (b) once a month; (c) a few times a month; and (d) at least once a week. |
Parental comments: Own weight |
One item: “In the past month, how often have your parents/guardians: (a) complained about their weight; and (b) complained about how they look.” Response options were: (a) never; (b) once a month; (c) a few times a month; and (d) at least once a week. |