Date of Award

Spring 1-2024

Degree Type

Thesis

Director of Thesis

Dawn Wilson-King

Second Reader

Allison Sweeney

Abstract

While there is extensive research on physical activity (PA) and the role it plays in preventing obesity, African American populations remain understudied despite reporting lower levels of PA compared to White Americans. Particularly, PA in adolescence has several indications for the development of healthy adult lifestyles. Additionally, there is limited data on the relationship between parenting factors and adolescent PA in overweight African American adolescents, despite theories that suggest that authoritative parenting factors, such as demandingness (e.g., control, monitoring) and responsiveness (e.g., warmth), can influence adolescent behaviors, including their motivation and self-efficacy for engaging in PA. Confidence in one’s ability to be active (self-efficacy for PA) has been shown to positively impact PA levels, which makes it another topic of interest in research. The purpose of this study was to examine how parenting factors (levels of responsiveness and demandingness) and adolescent factors (self- efficacy for PA) predict adolescent PA levels (light PA and moderate-to-vigorous PA). To investigate the relationship between parenting factors, adolescent factors, and adolescent PA levels, linear regression analyses were run using baseline data from the Families Improving Together (FIT) for Weight Loss randomized controlled trial (N = 227 dyads, M adolescent age = 12.83, 63.43% adolescent females). Two regression models were run, with both models including variables of parent responsiveness, parent demandingness, and adolescent self-efficacy to predict adolescent light PA (LPA) levels and adolescent moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) levels, respectively. Both models were adjusted for covariates, including income, adolescent sex, adolescent age, and adolescent zBMI. Regression analyses indicated that parent responsiveness was positively associated with greater LPA (B = 8.35, SE = 3.41, p = 0.015) This was the only significant association with LPA. No other predictors were significantly associated with MVPA. These results show that in a sample of African American adolescents with overweight or obesity, the level of parent responsiveness towards their adolescent is positively associated with their adolescent’s LPA levels, which replicates previous research in this area. Future research should continue to investigate factors affecting African American adolescent health behaviors and integrate parenting factors such as responsiveness into health promotion programs for African American adolescents.

First Page

1

Last Page

22

Rights

© 2024, Noelle Mink

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