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.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
1,973
Participants in this group were shown an image of a mother with obesity and a daughter with obesity.
Participants in this group were shown an image of a mother with obesity and a daughter without obesity.
Participants in this group were shown an image of a mother without obesity and a daughter with obesity.
Participants in this group were shown an image of a mother without obesity and a daughter without obesity.
Participants in this group were shown an image of a mother with obesity and a son with obesity.
Participants in this group were shown an image of a mother with obesity and a son without obesity.
Participants in this group were shown an image of a mother without obesity and a son with obesity.
Participants in this group were shown an image of a mother without obesity and a son without obesity.
Participants in this group were shown an image of a father with obesity and a daughter with obesity.
Participants in this group were shown an image of a father with obesity and a daughter without obesity.
Participants in this group were shown an image of a father without obesity and a daughter with obesity.
Participants in this group were shown an image of a father without obesity and a daughter without obesity.
Participants in this group were shown an image of a father with obesity and a son with obesity.
Participants in this group were shown an image of a father with obesity and a son without obesity.
Participants in this group were shown an image of a father without obesity and a son with obesity.
Participants in this group were shown an image of a father without obesity and a son without obesity.
UCLA
Los Angeles, California, United States
Parenting evaluation
Participants responded to the prompt, "To what extent do you perceive the parenting approach to be effective/helpful/caring?" and rated the characteristic on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very).
Time frame: 1 day
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