A rapid review exploring childhood obesity and parenting practices

Objective

The purpose of this rapid review was to explore the evidence on the relationship between parenting practices and childhood obesity.

Data sources

Electronic resource databases used were PubMed and CINAHL. Peer-reviewed articles published during 2018 to 2024 were considered.

Article selection

Nine articles met the criteria and included data for a total of 7224 participants.

Data extraction

Data were extracted from each study using the subheadings: Author/Date, Purpose, Study Design, Sample, Methods, Tools, Findings, and Evaluation. Additionally, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) was used to guide data extraction.

Data synthesis

Common themes were identified among each article that supported the purpose of this rapid review, such as specific parenting styles, culture, home environment, parental role modeling, and infant feeding practices.

Conclusion

The available evidence supports the notion that parental practices involving parenting styles, culture, home environment, role modeling, and early feeding patterns influence childhood obesity risk. However, there remains a paucity of evidence examining this topic.

Practice implications

School nurses, pediatric nurses, and nurse practitioners play a critical role in preventing and managing childhood obesity by assessing and educating families on key factors related to childhood obesity, such as nutrition, physical activity, and parenting practices.