Forward and Back is Not Enough: Applying Best Practices for Translation of Pediatric Sleep Questionnaires.

Cultural differences in the experience of sleep warrant consideration in the measurement of sleep across populations. This requires careful attention to both language and culture when translating survey measures. While forward and back translation is the most commonly used approach, it has numerous limitations if used as an isolated method. Best practice guidelines recommend a multi-step team-based approach for translating questionnaires. We present our recent experience applying best practices in a study with both Spanish and English-speaking Mexican American mothers of toddlers. This work is part of a larger project that will measure parental sleep-related beliefs and parenting practices in Mexican American parents of toddlers. We utilized a team-based approach to translation and cultural adaptation, assembling a diverse, bilingual, and bicultural team. The translation process started with items and measures that we had selected, revised as needed, or created. New items were based on constructs identified in semi-structured interviews and focus groups used to explore parental sleep-related beliefs and parenting practices in the target population. Following this, our translation process included forward and back translation, harmonization and decentering, cognitive interviewing, debriefing, adjudication, and proofreading. We outline details of our process and the rationale for each step. We also highlight how each step contributes to ensuring culturally appropriate items with conceptual equivalence across languages. To ensure inclusivity and scientific rigor within the field of sleep research, investigators must utilize best practices for translations and cultural adaptations, building on the foundation of cultural constructs often identified in qualitative work.

Parenting a Toddler in the Era of Pervasive Screens: Interviews with Low-Income Mexican American Parents.

Screen media use starts in early childhood, despite recommendations to limit use. This study explored low-income Mexican American mothers' and fathers' beliefs, parenting practices, and perceived contextual contributors related to toddler screen use. We conducted interviews with 32 low-income Mexican American parents. Transcripts of audio recordings were analyzed to identify themes. Parents perceived numerous benefits to screen use, including learning and enjoyment, as well as seeing it as a helpful tool for parents. Reported risks included harmful mental and physical effects and a risk of use being all-consuming. Parents managed screen use with a variety of practices, including giving close attention to content, monitoring duration, and engaging in co-use. They also used screens for behavior management and in specific situations, such as to prepare for sleep. Some differences in beliefs and parenting practices exist by screen device type. Parents also reported that contextual factors, such as weather and neighborhood safety, influenced screen use. This study extends the current literature regarding child screen use, with its focus on low-income Mexican American toddlers. The findings offer interventionists and providers insight into the management of screens in the lives of this population.

Screen-related discord and dismay in low-income Mexican American families with toddlers: A qualitative study.

PURPOSE: Understanding parental experiences with managing their toddler's screen use is important to inform the design of interventions addressing early childhood screen use, yet current evidence is limited. To enhance our understanding of the context of toddler screen use, this study characterizes the screen-related discord and dismay parents experience in families with toddlers. DESIGN AND METHODS: In-depth interviews were conducted to explore everyday experiences with screen use among low-income Mexican American caregivers of toddlers (21 mothers, 10 fathers, 1 grandmother). Transcripts were content analyzed to identify prominent themes. RESULTS: Three themes were identified. Experiences of screen-related discord and dismay arose (1) between parent and child, (2) between parents, and (3) surfaced as parental internal dissonance about toddler screen use. Parent-child discord resulted from parental limit setting and child reactions to parental screen use, which often included tantrums. Parent-partner discord included patterns of agreeing to disagree and direct disagreement between partners. Parents also reported their own feelings of ambivalence and dismay as they struggled to reconcile their preferences against their toddler's actual screen use, while living in a screen-saturated world. CONCLUSIONS: Findings offer insight into types of screen-related discord and dismay low-income Mexican American parents experience as they attempt to manage their toddler's screen use. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Although discord in families is normal, the screen-specific discord reported by participants warrants consideration in efforts promoting healthy screen use in families. Providers can tailor their counseling to consider the range of screen-related discord families of toddlers may experience.

Style of meal service and feeding practices among Mexican American fathers and mothers: An analysis of video-recorded children's evening mealtime at home.

The aim of this study was to examine video-recorded observations of evening family mealtime at home among Mexican American children to help elucidate style of meal service, fathers' and mothers' feeding practices and child's eating behavior. Consistent with guidelines for coding behaviors, we analyzed observational data of evening mealtimes of 71 Mexican American children aged eight to 10 years. Regarding style of meal service, in almost all cases (96%), parents plated the child's food, with more available on the table or counter in 40% of the observations. Mothers almost always served the child (94%). Regarding parental feeding practices, parents used positive involvement in meals (80%), pressure to eat (42%) and restriction of food (9%). Using food as a reward to control behavior was never used by either parent. The majority (75%) of children requested or negotiated to eat less food, or only eat certain items. In Mexican American families, both mothers and fathers play a role in family mealtimes and both use positive involvement in child's meals, and to a lesser extent pressure to eat, with their children aged eight to 10 years. To help reduce the obesity epidemic, intervention strategies are needed, which integrate the family, a plating style of meal and parental feeding practices that promote healthy eating in the home. To reduce obesity among Mexican American children, interventions that focus on parental positive involvement in child's meal and maintenance of home cooked meals could have a positive impact on the entire family.

How black heterosexual men's narratives about sexual partner type and condom use disrupt the main and casual partner dichotomy: 'we still get down, but we not together'.

Sexual partner types and partnership dynamics have important implications for condom use. Yet most HIV prevention research conceptualises condom use as individual-level rather than dyadic-level behaviour. Evidence of a generalised HIV epidemic in urban predominantly low-income US Black heterosexual communities highlights the need for a culturally and contextually-grounded understanding of partner types, partnership dynamics and condom use from the perspective of Black heterosexual men. We conducted individual interviews with 30 self-identified men between the ages of 18 and 44, 18 (60%) of whom reported at least two partner types in the last 6 months. Key findings include: (1) 'main and casual' partner types per the HIV prevention literature; (2) three casual-partner subtypes: primary, recurrent, and one-time casuals; (3) overlapping partnership dynamics between main partners, primary-casual partners and recurrent-casual partners, but not one-time casual partners; and (4) consistent condom use reported for one-time casual partners only. The study underscores the critical need for more condom promotion messages and interventions that reflect the dyadic and culturally-grounded realities of US Black heterosexual men's sexual partner types and partnership dynamics.

Sleep duration in Mexican American children: Do mothers' and fathers' parenting and family practices play a role?

This study examined parenting styles, parenting practices and family practices that may be associated with weeknight sleep duration among 8- to 10-year-old Mexican American (MA) children. This cross-sectional study of MA children used baseline data from a 2-year cohort study of mother-child pairs (n = 308) with additional data on fathers (n = 166). Children's weeknight sleep duration was accelerometer estimated and averaged for 2 weeknights. Parents reported on their parenting styles and practices regarding food and family food-related practices. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to examine sleep duration with parenting styles and practices, and family practices, and adjusting for child gender and body mass index. Model 1 included mothers' parenting styles and practices; Model 2 included both mothers' and fathers' parenting styles and practices. Children's average sleep duration was 9.5 (SD = 0.8) hr. Mothers who used pressure to encourage their children to eat and those who used food to control behavior had children with longer sleep duration (ß = 0.21, p < 0.01; ß = 0.15, p = 0.03, respectively). Mothers who reported their children ate dinner with the TV on and those who valued eating dinner as a family had children with shorter sleep duration (ß = -0.16, p = 0.01; ß = -0.18, p = 0.01, respectively). Fathers who restricted the amount of food their children ate had children with shorter sleep duration (ß = -0.27, p = 0.01). Mothers' and fathers' feeding practices, the child's eating dinner with the TV on, and valuing family dinners, played a role in children's weeknight sleep duration among Mexican American families. Parental feeding practices and family mealtime contexts may have an effect on children's weeknight sleep duration.

Screen-Related Parenting Practices in Low-Income Mexican American Families.

OBJECTIVES: To (1) examine whether the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model predicts maternal screen-related parenting practices and (2) evaluate the relationship of American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)-recommended parenting practices with child television (TV) use behaviors. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 312 Spanish-speaking and/or English-speaking female primary caregivers of Mexican descent with a child 3 to 5 years of age were recruited from safety-net pediatric clinics. Participants completed a phone interview and screen media diary. Measures included maternal screen-related beliefs, self-efficacy, parenting practices (time restriction, TV in the child's bedroom, allowing viewing while eating meals and while eating snacks), and child viewing behaviors (amount of TV viewing, frequency of eating while viewing). Two path analytic models were estimated. RESULTS: Positive general beliefs about TV viewing and positive functional beliefs were negatively associated with maternal self-efficacy to restrict TV time (ß = -0.14, P < .05; ß = -0.27, P < .001). Greater self-efficacy to restrict time was associated with more maternal restriction of time (ß = 0.29, P < .001). Greater positive functional beliefs were associated with less self-efficacy to restrict TV viewing with snacks (odds ratio = 0.56; 95% confidence interval, 0.38-0.81). High self-efficacy to restrict viewing with snacks was associated with less allowing of viewing while snacking (ß = -0.16, P < .01). Time restriction, TV in the child's bedroom, and allowing viewing while snacking were associated with child TV viewing behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Providers should consider maternal beliefs, including beliefs regarding the functional use of screens, and self-efficacy to engage in AAP-recommended parenting practices, when counseling on screen use in this population.

Beliefs About Child TV Viewing in Low-Income Mexican American Parents of Preschoolers: Development of the Beliefs About Child TV Viewing Scale (B-TV).

Objectives Parental beliefs about child television viewing may affect the way parents regulate child television viewing. Despite this, little research has focused on the development of measures of parental beliefs about child television viewing, particularly among ethnic minority parents and parents of young children. This study's objective was to develop and test a culturally-based measure of parental beliefs about television viewing in low-income Mexican American mothers of preschoolers. Methods Using a cross-sectional study design, 22 items reflecting parental beliefs about influences of TV on children were developed and assessed for psychometric properties in a sample of 312 low-income Mexican American mothers of preschoolers. Results Using exploratory factor analysis, we identified four factors reflecting four domains of parental beliefs: positive general beliefs, positive sleep-related beliefs, positive functional beliefs, and negative general beliefs. Internal reliabilities were acceptable (Cronbach's alpha = 0.70-0.89) for all factors except negative general beliefs (Cronbach's alpha = 0.61). Positive sleep-related beliefs and Positive Functional Beliefs were correlated with children's average daily hours of TV (r = 0.16, p < .01; r = 0.22, p < .001, respectively) and with mother's average daily hours of TV (r = 0.14, p < .05; r = 0.22, p < .001, respectively), providing initial support for construct validity. Conclusions for Practice The Beliefs about Child TV viewing scale measures four domains of parental beliefs regarding child TV viewing, and has good initial reliability and validity for three factors. Future use will allow investigators to conduct more in-depth evaluations on the influence of parental beliefs on the way parents shape their child's use of the TV.

Obstacles to preventing obesity in children aged 2 to 5 years: Latino mothers' and fathers' experiences and perceptions of their urban environments.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of obesity among Latino children is alarmingly high, when compared to non-Latino White children. Low-income Latino parents living in urban areas, even if they are well-educated, face obstacles that shape familial health behaviors. This study used qualitative methods to explore parents' experiences in providing meals and opportunities to play to their children aged 2 to 5 years. In contrast to most prior studies, this study examined perceptions of familial behaviors among both mothers and fathers. METHODS: An ecological framework for exploring the associations of parental feeding behaviors and children's weight informed this study. An interview guide was developed to explore parents' experiences and perceptions about children's eating and physical activity and administered to six focus groups in a community-based organization in the Mission District of San Francisco. Transcripts were coded and analyzed. Twenty seven mothers and 22 fathers of Latino children ages 2 to 5 participated. RESULTS: Mothers, fathers, and couples reported that employment, day care, neighborhood environments and community relationships were experienced, and perceived as obstacles to promoting health behavior among their children, including drinking water instead of soda and participating in organized playtime with other preschool-age children. CONCLUSIONS: Results from this study suggest that the parents' demographic, social and community characteristics influence what and how they feed their children, as well as how often and the types of opportunities they provide for physical activity, providing further evidence that an ecological framework is useful for guiding research with both mothers and fathers. Mothers and fathers identified numerous community and society-level constraints in their urban environments. The results point to the importance of standardized work hours, resources for day care providers, clean and safe streets and parks, strong community relationships, and reduced access to sugar-sweetened beverages in preventing the development of obesity in preschool-age Latino children.

Fathers' feeding practices and children's weight status in Mexican American families.

Mothers' feeding practices are associated with their children's weight status, but little is known about the associations between fathers' feeding practices and children's weight status. Moreover, there is a dearth of research on Latino fathers' feeding practices and children's weight status, even though Latino children suffer some of the highest obesity rates in the U.S. We examined the associations between fathers' feeding practices and child weight status, conditional on mothers' feeding practices, within 174 Mexican American families with children aged 8-10 years. Parents completed the Parental Feeding Practices Questionnaire, which consists of four subscales: positive involvement in child eating, pressure to eat, use of food to control behavior, and restriction of amount of food. To assess child weight status, body mass index (BMI) was calculated and converted to age- and gender-specific percentile scores (BMI z-score). We fit four sets of regression models, one set for each of the four parental feeding practices subscales, with child BMI z-score as the outcome variable. Fathers' pressure to eat (b = -0.20, p = 0.04; 95% CI: -0.39, -0.01) and use of food to control behavior (b = -0.36, p = 0.02; 95% CI: -0.65, -0.07) were associated with lower child BMI z-score, and restriction of amount of food (b = 0.56, p < 0.001; 95% CI: 0.27, 0.84) was associated with higher child BMI z-score, after accounting for mothers' feeding practices. Fathers' positive involvement in child eating was not associated with child BMI z-score. These findings provide empirical evidence that fathers' feeding practices are independently associated with children's weight status, even when mothers' feeding practices are taken into account, and suggest that fathers' feeding practices also matter in regard to children's weight status.

Short Sleep Duration Is Associated With Eating More Carbohydrates and Less Dietary Fat in Mexican American Children.

Study Objective: Short sleep duration is a risk factor for childhood obesity. Mechanisms are unclear, but may involve selection of high carbohydrate foods. This study examined the association between estimated sleep duration and macronutrient intake as percentages of total energy among Mexican American (MA) 9-11 year olds. Methods: This cross-sectional study measured diet using two 24-hour recalls and estimated sleep duration using hip-worn accelerometry in MA children (n = 247) who were part of a cohort study. Child and maternal anthropometry were obtained; mothers reported on demographic information. Using linear regression, we examined the relationship of sleep duration with energy intake, sugar intake, and the percentage of energy intake from carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Results: Children were 47% male; mean age was 10 (SD = 0.9) years. Mean sleep duration was 9.6 (SD = 0.8) hours; 53% were overweight/obese, with a mean energy intake of 1759 (SD = 514) calories. Longer sleep duration was independently associated with a lower percentage of energy intake from carbohydrates (ß = -0.22, p < .01) and a higher percentage of energy from fat (ß = 0.19, p < .01), driven by the percentage of energy from polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA; ß = 0.17, p < .05). No association was found with the intake of energy or total sugars, or the percent of calories from protein. Conclusions: MA children who slept longer consumed diets with a lower percentage of calories from carbohydrates and a higher percentage from fat, especially from PUFA. Short sleep duration may be a risk factor for food cravings that are high in carbohydrate content and may displace heart-healthy dietary fat, and thereby increase obesity risk among children.

Measuring Black men's police-based discrimination experiences: Development and validation of the Police and Law Enforcement (PLE) Scale.

OBJECTIVES: Although social science research has examined police and law enforcement-perpetrated discrimination against Black men using policing statistics and implicit bias studies, there is little quantitative evidence detailing this phenomenon from the perspective of Black men. Consequently, there is a dearth of research detailing how Black men's perspectives on police and law enforcement-related stress predict negative physiological and psychological health outcomes. This study addresses these gaps with the qualitative development and quantitative test of the Police and Law Enforcement (PLE) Scale. METHOD: In Study 1, we used thematic analysis on transcripts of individual qualitative interviews with 90 Black men to assess key themes and concepts and develop quantitative items. In Study 2, we used 2 focus groups comprised of 5 Black men each (n = 10), intensive cognitive interviewing with a separate sample of Black men (n = 15), and piloting with another sample of Black men (n = 13) to assess the ecological validity of the quantitative items. For Study 3, we analyzed data from a sample of 633 Black men between the ages of 18 and 65 to test the factor structure of the PLE, as we all as its concurrent validity and convergent/discriminant validity. RESULTS: Qualitative analyses and confirmatory factor analyses suggested that a 5-item, 1-factor measure appropriately represented respondents' experiences of police/law enforcement discrimination. As hypothesized, the PLE was positively associated with measures of racial discrimination and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary evidence suggests that the PLE is a reliable and valid measure of Black men's experiences of discrimination with police/law enforcement. (PsycINFO Database Record

Parenting and Preschooler TV Viewing in Low-Income Mexican Americans: Development of the Parenting Practices Regarding TV Viewing (PPRTV) Scale.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and test a comprehensive, culturally based measure of parenting practices regarding television (TV) viewing in low-income Mexican-American mothers of preschoolers. METHOD: Low-income Mexican-American female primary caregivers of preschoolers were recruited in urban safety-net pediatric clinics during the 2013 to 2014 academic year. Items on parenting practices regarding TV viewing were developed from a prior scale, review of the literature, and results from semistructured interviews. Items were administered by phone, and analyses included evaluation of the factor structure and psychometric properties of a 40-item measure of parenting practices regarding TV viewing (PPRTV). RESULTS: Using exploratory factor analysis, a 7-factor model emerged as the best fit for the data representing the following domains of parenting practices: time restriction, behavioral control, instructive practices, coviewing, planful restriction, reactive content restriction, and commercial endorsement. Internal reliabilities were acceptable (Cronbach's alpha >.75). Correlations among the resulting subscales were small to moderate (rs = 0.01-0.43). Subscales were correlated with child TV viewing amounts: time restriction (-0.14, p < .05); behavioral control (0.27, p < .001); coviewing (0.16, p < .01); planful restriction (-0.20, p < .001); and commercial endorsement (0.11, p < .05), which provides support for construct validity. CONCLUSION: The PPRTV scale measures 7 domains of parenting practices and has good initial reliability and validity. It allows investigators to conduct more in-depth evaluations of the role parents play in socializing young children on TV use. Results of such work will be important to informing the design of interventions aiming to ensure healthy screen media habits in young children.

Measuring the Pros and Cons of What It Means to Be a Black Man: Development and Validation of the Black Men's Experiences Scale (BMES).

Although extensive research documents that Black people in the U.S. frequently experience social discrimination, most of this research aggregates these experiences primarily or exclusively by race. Consequently, empirical gaps exist about the psychosocial costs and benefits of Black men's experiences at the intersection of race and gender. Informed by intersectionality, a theoretical framework that highlights how multiple social identities intersect to reflect interlocking social-structural inequality, this study addresses these gaps with the qualitative development and quantitative test of the Black Men's Experiences Scale (BMES). The BMES assesses Black men's negative experiences with overt discrimination and microaggressions, as well their positive evaluations of what it means to be Black men. First, we conducted focus groups and individual interviews with Black men to develop the BMES. Next, we tested the BMES with 578 predominantly low-income urban Black men between the ages of 18 and 44. Exploratory factor analysis suggested a 12-item, 3-factor solution that explained 63.7% of the variance. We labeled the subscales: Overt Discrimination, Microaggressions, and Positives: Black Men. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the three-factor solution. As hypothesized, the BMES's subscales correlated with measures of racial discrimination, depression, resilience, and social class at the neighborhood-level. Preliminary evidence suggests that the BMES is a reliable and valid measure of Black men's experiences at the intersection of race and gender.

Factors Contributing to Background Television Exposure in Low-Income Mexican-American Preschoolers.

Objective Background television (TV) exposure is harmful to young children, yet few studies have focused on predictors of exposure. This study's objectives were to elucidate demographic, environmental, and behavioral correlates of background TV exposure in low-income Mexican-American preschoolers and to explore caregiver beliefs about the impact of such exposure. Methods A convenience sample of low-income Mexican-American female primary caregivers of preschoolers (3-5 years old, n = 309), recruited in safety-net clinics, were surveyed by phone. Caregivers reported the frequency of their child's exposure to background TV and responded to questions on the home media environment, TV use, and whether they had thought about background TV exposure and its impact on their child. Results Background TV exposure was common; 43 % reported that their child was often, very often, or always exposed to background TV. More hours of TV viewing by the caregiver and greater frequency of TV viewing during meals were associated with an increased frequency of exposure to background TV. Only 49 % of participants had ever thought about the impact of background TV. Believing that background TV is not harmful was associated with higher levels of background TV exposure. Conclusions Findings suggest that background TV exposure is frequent and caregiver awareness of its potential impact is low in low-income Mexican-American families. Beliefs that background TV is not harmful may predict risk of exposure. Potential targets for interventions focused on reducing background TV exposure in this population include increasing caregiver awareness of the potential negative impact of such TV exposure.

Preferred Child Body Size and Parental Underestimation of Child Weight in Mexican-American Families.

Objective To determine whether parents who prefer a heavier child would underestimate their child's weight more than those who prefer a leaner child. Methods Participants were Mexican-American families (312 mothers, 173 fathers, and 312 children ages 8-10) who were interviewed and had height and weight measurements. Parents reported their preferred child body size and their perceptions of their child's weight. Parents' underestimation of their child's weight was calculated as the standardized difference between parent's perception of their child's weight and the child's body mass index (BMI) z-score. Demographic factors and parental BMI were also assessed. Results Although 50 % of children were overweight or obese, only 11 % of mothers and 10 % of fathers perceived their children as being somewhat or very overweight. Multiple regressions controlling for covariates (parental BMI and child age) showed that parents who preferred a heavier child body size underestimated their children's weight more, compared to those who preferred a leaner child (ß for mothers = .13, p < .03; ß for fathers = .17, p < .03). Conclusions for Practice Parents who preferred a heavier child body size underestimated their child's weight to a greater degree than parents who preferred a leaner child. Attempts by pediatricians to correct parents' misperceptions about child weight may damage rapport and ultimately fail if the misperception is actually a reflection of parents' preferences, which may not be readily amenable to change. Future research should address optimal methods of communication about child overweight which take into account parent preferences.

Psychosocial factors and pre-abortion psychological health: The significance of stigma.

RATIONALE: Most research in mental health and abortion has examined factors associated with post-abortion psychological health. However, research that follows women from before to after their abortion consistently finds that depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms are highest just before an abortion compared to any time afterwards. OBJECTIVE: This finding suggests that studies investigating psychosocial factors related to pre-abortion mental health are warranted. METHODS: The current study uses data from 353 women seeking abortions at three community reproductive health clinics to examine predictors of pre-abortion psychological health. Drawing from three perspectives in the abortion and mental health literature, common risks, stress and coping, and sociocultural context, we conducted multivariable analyses to examine the contribution of important factors on depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms just before an abortion, including sociodemographics, abortion characteristics, childhood adversities, recent adversities with an intimate partner, relationship context, future pregnancy desires, and perceived abortion stigma. RESULTS: Childhood and partner adversities, including reproductive coercion, were associated with negative mental health symptoms, as was perceived abortion stigma. Before perceived abortion stigma was entered into the model, 18.6%, 20.7%, and 16.8% of the variance in depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms respectively, was explained. Perceived abortion stigma explained an additional 13.2%, 9.7%, and 10.7% of the variance in depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms pre-abortion. CONCLUSION: This study, one of the first to focus on pre-abortion mental health as an outcome, suggests that addressing stigma among women seeking abortions may significantly lower their psychological distress.

Parental feeding practices and child weight status in Mexican American families: a longitudinal analysis.

BACKGROUND: Parental feeding practices are thought to influence children's weight status, through children's eating behavior and nutritional intake. However, because most studies have been cross-sectional, the direction of influence is unclear. Moreover, although obesity rates are high among Latino children, few studies of parental feeding practices have focused on this population. METHODS: This 2-year longitudinal study examined mutual influences over time between parental feeding practices and children's weight status, in Mexican American families with children 18 years old at baseline. Mothers (n = 322) and fathers (n = 182) reported on their feeding practices at baseline, 1-year follow-up, and 2-year follow-up. Weight status, defined by waist-height ratio (WHtR) and body mass index (BMI), was ascertained at all assessments. Cross-lagged panel models were used to examine the mutual influences of parental feeding practices and child weight status over time, controlling for covariates. RESULTS: Both mothers' and fathers' restriction of food predicted higher subsequent child weight status at Year 1, and for fathers this effect was also found at Year 2. Mothers' and fathers' pressure to eat predicted lower weight status among boys, but not girls, at Year 1. Child weight status also predicted some parental feeding practices: boys' heavier weight predicted mothers' less pressure to eat at Year 1, less use of food to control behavior at Year 2, and greater restriction at Year 2; and girls' heavier weight at Year 1 predicted fathers' less pressure to eat and less positive involvement in child eating at Year 2. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides longitudinal evidence that some parental feeding practices influence Mexican American children's weight status, and that children's weight status also influences some parental feeding practices. Feeding practices of both mothers and fathers were related to children's weight status, underscoring the importance of including fathers in research on parental feeding practices and child obesity.

Maternal Beliefs and Parenting Practices Regarding Their Preschool Child's Television Viewing: An Exploration in a Sample of Low-Income Mexican-Origin Mothers.

OBJECTIVE: To explore maternal beliefs about television (TV) viewing and related parenting practices in low-income Mexican-origin mothers of preschoolers. METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 21 low-income Mexican-origin mothers of preschoolers. Interviews were audio recorded and analyzed using a theoretically based thematic analytic approach. RESULTS: Mothers described strong beliefs about the positive and negative impact of TV content. Mothers emphasized the educational value of specific programming. Content restrictions were common. Time restrictions were not clearly defined; however, many mothers preferred short versus long episodes of viewing. Mothers spoke positively about family viewing and the role of TV viewing in enabling mothers to accomplish household tasks. DISCUSSION: These findings have implications for intervening in this population. Interventionists should consider the value mothers place on the educational role of TV viewing, the direct benefit to mothers of viewing time, the lack of clear time limits, and the common practice of family co-viewing.