Mothers' guilt responses to children's obesity risk feedback

J Health Psychol. 2015 May;20(5):649-58. doi: 10.1177/1359105315576608.

Abstract

This study explored the influence of family health history-based obesity risk feedback for their child on 147 overweight mothers' guilt related to children's lifestyle behaviors and passing down a genetic propensity for overweight. Mothers were randomized to receive, or not, obesity risk feedback for their 4- to 5-year-old child and then made food choices for them using a virtual reality-based buffet. Receipt of risk information increased lifestyle- and genetics-related guilt. Choosing fewer unhealthful foods for the child attenuated both types of guilt. Work in this area may aid in development of obesity risk feedback strategies that enhance child feeding.

Keywords: family health history; guilt; obesity; parent; risk communication.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Child, Preschool
  • Feedback, Psychological*
  • Feeding Behavior / psychology
  • Female
  • Food Preferences / psychology
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease / psychology
  • Guilt*
  • Humans
  • Life Style
  • Mothers / psychology*
  • Overweight / psychology
  • Pediatric Obesity / etiology
  • Pediatric Obesity / psychology*