Parental Alliance and Family Functioning in Pediatric Obesity from Both Parentsʼ Perspectives

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the maternal and paternal specific contributions on the associations between family socioeconomic status, parental anthropometric factors, parental alliance and family functioning, assessed for mothers and fathers separately, through a case-control study with families of Italian youths with and without overweight/obesity. Methods: Ninety families with children aged 11-16 years (mean [M]=13.27 years; standard deviation [SD]=1.5) participated in the study. Half of the families included children with overweight/obesity (n=45). The youths’ and parents’ BMIs were measured and the former transformed in BMI z-scores. The mothers and fathers completed the Parenting Alliance Measure (PAM)1 and the Family Assessment Measure Version III General Scale (FAM-III).2 Results: higher levels of dysfunction in the parenting and family functioning of the mothers and fathers of the overweight/obese group were found. Socioeconomic status did not contribute significantly to the prediction of overweight and obesity in youth. Both maternal and paternal BMI were positively associated with youth overweight/obesity. The degrees of parental alliance perceived by both mothers (odds ratio .805 (95% CI .717-.904) and fathers (odds ratio .896 (95% CI .815-.984) predicted child’s weight status. The perception of poor parental and familial functioning by both parents contributed to the prediction of overweight and obesity in youth (mother: odds ratio 1.060 (95% CI 1.017-1.1060); father: odds ratio 1.061 (95% CI 1.014-1.110). Conclusion: The results support a strong effect of parental and family functioning on youth’s overweight/obesity from the father’s perspective. The importance of considering also the father’s perspective is discussed.