Weight Stigma by Association in Parent-Child Dyads

Summary

Parents of children with obesity report feeling blamed for their children's weight and reluctant to seek pediatric care after stigmatizing experiences. This "weight stigma by association" may have direct consequences for parents, children, and the parent-child relationship. The present study builds on qualitative evidence to experimentally test weight stigma and weight stigma by association in a parent-child relationship using a large, community-based sample. In an experiment conducted via an online survey, participants were randomly assigned to view a picture of a parent-child dyad, for which parent and child's gender (male vs. female) and weight status (with obesity vs. without obesity) were manipulated. Participants read identical general parenting descriptions that adhered to American Academy of Pediatrics parenting recommendations, then rated the parent's effectiveness, helpfulness, and caring.

Conditions

• Childhood Obesity
• Obesity

Interventions

OTHER

Mother with obesity, daughter with obesity

Participants in this group were shown an image of a mother with obesity and a daughter with obesity.

OTHER

Mother with obesity, daughter without obesity

Participants in this group were shown an image of a mother with obesity and a daughter without obesity.

OTHER

Mother without obesity, daughter with obesity

Participants in this group were shown an image of a mother without obesity and a daughter with obesity.

OTHER

Mother without obesity, daughter without obesity

Participants in this group were shown an image of a mother without obesity and a daughter without obesity.

OTHER

Mother with obesity, son with obesity

Participants in this group were shown an image of a mother with obesity and a son with obesity.

OTHER

Mother with obesity, son without obesity

Participants in this group were shown an image of a mother with obesity and a son without obesity.

OTHER

Mother without obesity, son with obesity

Participants in this group were shown an image of a mother without obesity and a son with obesity.

OTHER

Mother without obesity, son without obesity

Participants in this group were shown an image of a mother without obesity and a son without obesity.

OTHER

Father with obesity, daughter with obesity

Participants in this group were shown an image of a father with obesity and a daughter with obesity.

OTHER

Father with obesity, daughter without obesity

Participants in this group were shown an image of a father with obesity and a daughter without obesity.

OTHER

Father without obesity, daughter with obesity

Participants in this group were shown an image of a father without obesity and a daughter with obesity.

OTHER

Father without obesity, daughter without obesity

Participants in this group were shown an image of a father without obesity and a daughter without obesity.

OTHER

Father with obesity, son with obesity

Participants in this group were shown an image of a father with obesity and a son with obesity.

OTHER

Father with obesity, son without obesity

Participants in this group were shown an image of a father with obesity and a son without obesity.

OTHER

Father without obesity, son with obesity

Participants in this group were shown an image of a father without obesity and a son with obesity.

OTHER

Father without obesity, son without obesity

Participants in this group were shown an image of a father without obesity and a son without obesity.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Michigan

  collaborator OTHER

• University of California, Los Angeles

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2020-02-21

Primary Completion

2020-02-21

Completion

2020-02-21

Countries

• United States

Study Locations