Abstract:

Aim: It has been shown that the dietary habits of families contribute to childhood obesity. Therefore, it is crucial that the eating behaviors of children and parents are investigated together. The study was conducted to determine the obesogenic factors at home environment for the children and relationship between parents and their children eating habits. Material and methods: The study is a cross-sectional and correlational research conducted with 1235 children studying at two primary and two secondary schools, and their parents between September and December 2018. Study data were collected from the parents using the “Child-Parent Information Form” and “Family Eating Habits Questionnaire”. Results: In the study, it was determined that 13.7% of the children were overweight and 17.6% were obese. According to the parents, “dining in the hall/living room” and “dining while watching TV, reading, working” are the eating habits which both parents and children most frequently demonstrate. The number of salty and sweet snacks in the home environment varies between 0 and 10, and 42.6% of them keep these foods in easily accessible places. Of the children, 47.8% consume sweet and salty snacks without their parents’ permission from time to time. A moderate or low level of positive correlation varies according to the item was found between the eating habits of the mother, father and child (p<0.001). There was no significant difference between the underweight/normal weight or overweight/obese status of children for the number of snacks at home, their accessibility and frequency of disallowed consumption (p>0.05). Conclusion: The home environment of the families participating in the study is rich in obesogenic foods. Parents and their children have similar eating habits which contribute to obesity. When the eating habits of children and parents are considered together in family-based obesity prevention programs, it will be effective in the development of healthy eating behavior.

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