Childhood obesity is becoming a challenging issue in China, and parents may playa key role in the development of adolescent obesity. However, the relationships between certain parent-related factors and the development of adolescent obesity are rarely reported in China. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the relationship among Chinese parents' perception of their children's weight, parenting behaviors, parenting style, and adolescents' weight status. Two studies were performed to achieve this purpose. / Key words: adolescent obesity, parenting behaviors, parenting styles / The first study (Chapter 3) examines the validity and reliability of the questionnaires for adolescents and parents; the questionnaires are intended to measure parenting behaviors, parents' perception of their children's weight, and parenting styles in the Chinese context. Several steps were performed. First, the questionnaires were selected based on their validity and reliability, as well as their applicability to the Chinese adolescent and parenting context. Second, the questionnaires were translated into Chinese using a cross-cultural translation technique. Third, five experts were invited to evaluate the content validity and feasibility of the questionnaires for application in the Chinese population. Fourth, 15 pairs of adolescents and their parents were invited to attend a short interview after completing the experimental version of the questionnaires. They were asked to share comments on the readability and cultural relevance of the questionnaire. The questionnaires were then revised according to their feedback. Fifth, 127 pairs of adolescents (10-15 years old) and their parents (Ganzhou: 62 pairs, Shantou: 65 pairs) were recruited to examine the retest reliability and internal consistency of the questionnaires. Sixth, the data collected in the main survey were used to examine construct validity. The result showed that 10 items were excluded because of poor content validity or low intraclass correlation coefficient (<0.7). The internal consistencies of the subscales (ranging from 0.61 to 0.81) were found to be acceptable (Cronbach's alpha >0.6). The goodness-of-fit statistics (RMSEA, CFI, and NNFI) also indicated acceptable fit for the theory models. The results suggest that the validity and reliability of the questionnaires are acceptable, and the questionnaires are applicable to Chinese adolescents and parents in Southern China. / The second study (Chapters 4,5,6) determines the relationships among parenting behaviors, parents' perception of their children's weight, parenting style, and adolescent weight status. A total of 2,143 adolescents and 1,869 parents were recruited from secondary schools in Ganzhou and Shantou in China. The adolescents' weights and heights were measured by trained testers. The dietary habits and physical activity level of the adolescents, as well as parenting behaviors, parenting styles, parents' perception of their children's weight, and demographic information were collected through questionnaires issued to the adolescents and parents validated in Study 1. Several parenting behaviors, including "pressure to eat" and "diet and PA monitoring," were found to be significantly related to adolescents' age and gender-specific BMI Z score (Z-BMI), although the correlation coefficients were low (r ranged from -0.23 to 0.09, p (r ranged from -0.23 to 0.09, p<0.01). The results of the hierarchical multiple regression revealed that "pressure to eat" and "diet and PA monitoring" were the predictors of adolescent Z-BMI. The results of Kappa statistics showed that only a slight agreement exists between parental perception of their children's weights and the adolescents' actual weights (Kappa=0.221, p<0.01). A significant difference in parenting behaviors was found between parents with correct and incorrect perceptions of their children's weight. Compared with the reference authoritative parenting style, the odds of acquiring unhealthy dietary habits were significantly higher for children with authoritarian (Father: OR=1.67, 95%CI: 1.29-2.16; Mother: OR=1.72, 95%CI: 1.31-2.26) and neglectful (Father: OR=2.17, 95%CI: 1.66-2.82; Mother: OR=2.29, 95%CI: 1.76-3.00) parents. The odds of being physically inactive for children with neglectful parents were almost twice than that for children with authoritative parents (Father: OR=2.05, 95%CI: 1.37-3.06; Mother: OR=1.77, 95%CI: 1.18-2.67). Significant differences were found in the parenting behaviors of parents with four different parenting styles. However, no association was found between parenting style and adolescent weight. The data of this study suggest that parenting behaviors are weakly but significantly associated with the development of adolescent obesity. Misclassifications of children's weight status were prevalent among Chinese parents. Parental perceptions of their children's weights were associated with some parenting behaviors related to children's weight development. The adolescents' dietary habits, physical activity, and some parenting behaviors were associated with parenting style. However, there was no direct association between parenting style and adolescent weight. / Wen, Xu. / Adviser: Stanley Sai-Chuen Hui. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 73-03, Section: A, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 130-163). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.

by Leung Yee Kong. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1992. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 121-124). / LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES / Chapter I. --- ABSTRACT --- p.1 / Chapter II. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.3 / Types of Social Indicators --- p.8 / Chapter III. --- LITERATURE REVIEW AND RESEARCH PROBELMS --- p.12 / Life Satisfaction as Subjective Measure of Well-Being --- p.13 / Towards a Causal Analysis for Weil-Being --- p.16 / Chapter IV. --- RESEARCH DESIGN AND HYPOTHESES SETTING --- p.25 / Source of Data --- p.25 / Operationalization of Variables --- p.26 / Hypotheses Setting --- p.31 / Chapter V. --- PROFILE OF RESPONDENTS --- p.37 / Age --- p.37 / Education --- p.38 / Occupation --- p.39 / Household Structure --- p.41 / Income --- p.42 / Housing --- p.43 / Chapter VI. --- MEASURING GLOBAL WELL-BEING AND LIFE DOMAINS --- p.46 / Life in General --- p.46 / Evaluation of Life Domains --- p.51 / Bivariate Relationships --- p.60 / Chapter VII. --- PREDICTION OF GLOBAL WELL-BEING --- p.69 / Prediction of Global Satisfaction --- p.70 / Prediction of Global Happiness --- p.80 / Structural Modeling --- p.85 / Chapter (1) --- Affect-Cognition Model --- p.87 / Chapter (2) --- Parent-Youth Relation Model --- p.90 / Chapter VIII. --- SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION --- p.102 / Profile of Respondents --- p.102 / Evaluation of Global Measures --- p.103 / Evaluation of Life Domains --- p.103 / Correlation Between Global and Domain Measures --- p.105 / Predictors of Global Life Satisfaction --- p.108 / Predictors of Global Happiness --- p.111 / Structural Modeling --- p.113 / Implications of the Study --- p.115 / Methodological Suggestions to Further Research --- p.119 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.121 / APPENDIX -- The Questionnaire (Chinese version)

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Interactional and contextual models have been conceptually proposed in understanding parental influences on children. Yet, empirical model testing has been limited. The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate the direct and indirect effects of parenting style on child social competence using structural equation modeling in a sample of 544 Chinese families with 6-9 years old children, mainly singleton, residing in Nanjing, China. Five latent models were tested: (a) the direct model between parenting style and child social competence, (b) child temperament as a moderator, (c) parent-child relationship as a mediator, (d) the interaction model between parenting style and family functioning, and (e) bidirectional models of parenting style concurrently with parent-child relationship, and family functioning predicting child social competence. Findings showed: (a) The direct relationship between parenting style and child social competence was significant in both parents with authoritative parenting style on the positive direction, whereas authoritarian and permissive parenting styles on the negative direction; (b) child temperament did not moderate parenting style on child social competence; (c) father-child relationship mediated paternal parenting style on child social competence, whereas maternal parenting style did not; (d) family functioning neither moderated nor mediated the relationship between parenting style and child social competence for both parents; and (e) The four-factor prediction models on child social competence turned out to be unidirectional. For the mothers, the best model was from family functioning to mother-child relationship, to maternal parenting style, and finally to child social competence. Maternal parenting style was the significant proximal factor. For the fathers, it was from family functioning to paternal parenting style, to father-child relationship, and then to child social competence. Father-child relationship had the direct impact, whereas the influence of paternal parenting style was distal through father-child relationship. Findings from this study suggest that the Chinese parents should use more authoritative and less authoritarian and permissive parenting, and develop good parent-child relationships in the daily interactions with their children. Future studies need to use larger and better data to validate these models, or to extend the findings with other important child variables to explore the child's active agency.

Leung Yin-Wa. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-59). / Abstract and questionnaires in English and Chinese. / ABSTRACT-English --- p.i / ABSTRACT - Chinese --- p.ii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT --- p.iii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iv / INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / METHOD --- p.17 / RESULTS --- p.23 / DISCUSSION --- p.32 / REFERENCES --- p.47 / APPENDIX A TO APPENDIX F --- p.60 / FOOTNOTES --- p.66 / TABLE 1 TO TABLE8 --- p.67 / FIGURE CAPTIONS --- p.75 / FIGURE1 / FIGURE2 / FIGURE3

Chan Wai-Lok. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 46-58). / Abstracts in English and Chinese ; questionnaire also in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / 擇要 --- p.ii / Acknowledgement --- p.iii / Table of Contents --- p.iv / List of Tables --- p.vi / List of Figures --- p.vii / List of Appendices --- p.viii / Chapter Chapter 1: --- Introduction --- p.1 / Parenting Style --- p.1 / Effects of Parenting Style on Misbehavior --- p.3 / Effects of Parenting Style on Academic Performance --- p.4 / Paradox in Chinese --- p.5 / Summary on Parenting Style --- p.9 / Teaching Style --- p.10 / Effects of Teaching Style on Misbehavior --- p.12 / Effects of Teaching Style on Academic Performance --- p.13 / Teaching Style in Chinese --- p.14 / Summary on Teaching Style --- p.15 / Interaction Effects of Parenting and Teaching Styles --- p.15 / Parental Influences and Teacher Influences on Children and Adolescence --- p.17 / Summary --- p.18 / Chapter Chapter 2: --- Method --- p.20 / Participants --- p.20 / Measures --- p.20 / Parenting Style --- p.20 / Teaching Style --- p.21 / School Misbehavior --- p.22 / Academic Performance --- p.22 / Procedures --- p.23 / Chapter Chapter 3: --- Results --- p.24 / Time 1 Analysis --- p.24 / Means & Correlation --- p.24 / Hierarchical Regression Analysis --- p.25 / Across Time Analysis --- p.27 / Correlation --- p.27 / Direct Effect Analysis --- p.28 / Indirect Effect Analysis --- p.30 / Chapter Chapter 4: --- Discussion --- p.34 / References --- p.46

University of Macau / Faculty of Education