ORCID
https://orcid.org/0009-0006-9334-9528
Date of Award
Fall 2024
Language
English
Embargo Period
11-26-2024
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
College/School/Department
Department of Psychology
Program
Clinical Psychology
First Advisor
Julia Hormes
Second Advisor
Sarah Domoff
Committee Members
Julia Hormes, Sarah Domoff
Keywords
body image, eating disorders, parent training, parent education, early childhood, media
Subject Categories
Clinical Psychology
Abstract
Background: Body image concerns and other risk factors for disordered eating can emerge in early childhood, but no interventions specifically target these early risk factors to mitigate future eating disorder risk. This study sought to quantify parents' knowledge of factors influencing eating disorder risk in young children, their concerns about their children’s eating behaviors, and perceived need and preferences for a parent education intervention addressing these topics. Methods: Parents (52 mothers, 55 fathers) of children aged 2-6 completed measures of parental eating disorder symptoms and internalized weight bias and child eating behaviors. Open-ended questions explored parents’ concerns about their children’s eating behaviors, their responses to hypothetical weight-related scenarios, and habits around child media exposure. Results: Mothers reported more elevated eating disorder symptoms and internalized weight bias than fathers. Parents frequently cited concerns about picky eating (46.3%) and unbalanced diets (43.9%) in their children. Content related to appearance and weight was ranked as least relevant when choosing media for their children. Parents expressed high confidence in addressing hypothetical weight-related scenarios, but coders categorized the quality of responses as mostly neutral or negative. Parents indicated interest in education about how to talk about weight, health, and appearance and manage picky eating. Most preferred self-paced, online interventions to access this information. Conclusion: Results highlight the need for targeted education on children's body image and eating behaviors. Self-paced online interventions focusing on food and body talk, picky eating, and media literacy may effectively promote positive child development related to eating attitudes and behaviors.
License
This work is licensed under the University at Albany Standard Author Agreement.
Recommended Citation
Atchison, Anna, "Body Image Development and Eating Disorder Risk in Young Children: What do Parents Want to Know?" (2024). Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present). 79.
https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/etd/79