Self-regulation linking the quality of early parent–child relationship to adolescents' obesity risk and food consumption

Background: The quality of parent–child relationships has been examined as a contributor to children's healthy behaviours and weight outcomes, but the mechanisms accounting for associations remain understudied. Objective: This study examined whether the quality of early parent–child relationship is associated with adolescent obesity risk and whether self-regulation and (un)healthful food consumption mediate these associations. Methods: Employing structural equation modelling, two theory-driven models were examined using a large sample (N = 1237) drawn from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Indicators of the quality of parent–child relationship included assessments of child attachment security and observational assessments of maternal sensitivity (15, 24, and 36 months). Self-regulation at 54 months was assessed using behavioural and computerized tasks and, at ages 11–12 and 15 years, using parental ratings of self-control. Food consumption was self-reported at age 11–12. Height and weight measures in early/middle childhood and adolescence were used to compute BMI z-scores. Results: No direct associations between the quality of parent–child relationship and adolescent obesity risk were found in either model. Instead, child self-regulation was found to mediate the associations between the quality of parent–child relationship and both unhealthy food consumption and higher adolescent BMI status. Conclusion: The findings highlight how the nature of parent–child relationships impacts developing regulatory processes in children which, in turn, have implications for obesity-related behaviours and outcomes. Interventions to reduce childhood obesity should consider self-regulation skills across multiple domains, and early parenting practices that foster these capacities.