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Item Weight-Related Health Behaviors and Body Mass: Associations between Young Adults and their Parents, Moderated by Parenting Styles(North Dakota State University, 2011) Niemeier, Brandi SheaThe incidence of overweight conditions among children and adolescents is a growing national concern. Although current literature suggests that parental health behaviors could influence health behaviors of children, studies have not explored the actual predictive relationships of parents' and their children's weight statuses and weight-related behaviors. In addition, current studies have not tested the influence of parental authority, family communication, or demographic characteristics on the relationships. This study first examines factors that contribute to overweight conditions among children and adolescents and the associated costs. Studies of interventions that target children's and adolescents' weight-related health are then reviewed and provide evidence that parental involvement contributes to intervention success. The theory of planned behavior, social cognitive theory, social action theory, and systems theory are discussed and support the notion that parental influences contribute to the development of children's weight-related health behaviors. To test the relationships, 151 young adults and their parents were recruited and completed a series of questionnaires to describe their weight statuses, dietary behaviors, and physical activity behaviors. In addition, the young adult participants completed questionnaires to further describe their parents' parental authorities and their family communication environments during childhood and adolescence. Comparisons of body mass index, average daily energy consumption, average weekly energy expenditure, and physical activity enjoyment of young adult participants and their parents were conducted with correlation analyses and paired-samples t-tests. Further, multiple regression analyses were used to explore the influence of parental authority and family communication, and demographic characteristics were also considered. The empirical results of the current study indicate that, overall, parents' weight statuses and dietary behaviors help predict weight statuses and dietary behaviors of their young adult children. Further, parental authority scales interact with the relationships. At high levels of authoritarian and permissive parental authorities, young adults tend to have weight statuses that are opposite to those of their parents; at high levels of authoritarian parenting, young adults also tend to follow opposite dietary consumption patterns. The findings in this study have implications for professional practice, parenting practices, and the design of intervention activities. Recommendations for future research are provided.Item Parents' Relationship, Differing Parenting Styles and the Effects on their Children(North Dakota State University, 2010) Kasson, Ashley AnnThe purpose of this study is to examine the influence of parenting practices, the impact of differing parenting practices, and how gender of the parent and child impact child outcomes. The sample for this study was taken from parents whose children are participating in the Early Risers Program. These parents completed two questionnaires. Parental involvement, communication, and discipline scales were the focus of these questionnaires. To assess the child's strengths, parents also reported on their child's interpersonal strength, family involvement, intrapersonal strength, affective strength, and school functioning. This study examines how the gender of a parent and the differing parenting styles between partners affects a child's development. Specifically, it was expected that the same-sex parent of a child has more influence on a child than the opposite-sex parent, and mixed parenting styles will affect the development of a child differently than parents parenting with similar parenting practices. The results show that same-sex parents have more influence over certain child outcomes. No significance was found for the influences of differing parenting practices on a child's outcome. The study provides a closer look at the influences of gender and parenting practices on child outcomes and compares whether parents' distress level or differential parenting styles among partners has more influence over child outcomes.Item Impacts of Technology on Families: Development of a Series of Newsletters to Educate Parents and Children about the Significant Contributions and Negative Aspects of Technology(North Dakota State University, 2010) Campion, Alyssa MarieThe purpose of this paper is to review research regarding technology's impact on families today. This paper reviews new and varied technologies, such as cell phones, the Internet, video games, and television, and their influence on youth in current generations. The benefits and the negative effects of technology on children and families are explored. Lastly, the paper outlines a newsletter series specifically designed to educate parents and children on the significant contributions of technology and offers recommendations to help reduce the negative aspects of technology. The nine-issue newsletter series focuses on topics of interest to parents and children and suggests ways to preserve the positive aspects of technology while also calling attention to the negative aspects of these technological devices. Many families today have a shortage of time; therefore, this newsletter series is a quick way for parents and children to gain knowledge and enhance communication on various topics. The newsletter series includes (Issue 1) Parenting in the Digital Age; (Issue 2) Cell Phones: Connecting to Family and Friends Safely; (Issue 3) Cyberspace: Suifing Safely Online; (Issue 4) Cyberbullying; (Issue 5) Media Influences; (Issue 6) Social Networking: Socialize Safely Online; (Issue 7) Obesity and Sedentary Lifestyles; (Issue 8) Media Violence; (Issue 9) Healthy Technology Habits.