The Association between Parent and Child Body Appreciation in Rural Families

Abstract

Body appreciation is defined as the acceptance of, and respect toward, one’s own body. The presence of body appreciation in an individual is related to positive health-related outcomes, such as flexible thinking and healthy eating behaviors. The aim of the current study was to examine the relationship between parental body appreciation and child body appreciation, and to determine if parental restrictive feeding practices moderated this relationship. A sample of 32 families from rural Oregon comprised of a parental figure and a child 8-10 years of age completed questionnaires about body appreciation and child feeding in one of two study visits. Statistical analysis showed that no significant correlation existed between parental body appreciation and child body appreciation, and that parental restrictive feeding was not a significant moderator. However, a significant inverse relationship existed between parental restrictive feeding and child body appreciation. Although the results of this study only apply to a small sample size, the study highlights the importance of future research in investigating methods of bolstering body appreciation at a young age.