Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is a growing health concern among American Indian populations. Many behavioral risk factors for T2DM are influenced by the family unit. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of certain parent/guardian variables on youth type 2 diabetes risk factors. Methods: The parents/guardians of 10-14 year old Northern Plains American Indian youth (n=37) were surveyed regarding their knowledge for physical activity and nutrition, support behaviors for physical activity and nutrition in their youth, and their individual physical activity and nutrition behaviors. Youth variables including physical activity behavior, dietary behavior, and body mass index percentile-for-age (BMI %ile) were also collected. Results: Higher levels of parent/guardian physical activity support were correlated with higher youth BMI %ile (r= 0.433, p=0.013). Parent/guardian nutrition support was also significantly correlated with higher youth BMI %ile as well (r=0.406, p=0.021). Parent/guardian physical activity support and nutrition support were not significantly correlated (p>0.05) with youth physical activity behavior or dietary behavior. Parent/guardian knowledge about physical activity and nutrition was not associated with youth physical activity, youth dietary intake, or youth BMI %ile. Parent/guardian nutrition behaviors and physical activity behaviors were also not significantly correlated with youth physical activity, dietary intake, or BMI %ile. Discussion: The results for parent/guardian support to be associated with higher youth BMI %ile were unexpected and deserve attention in future research to evaluate the motivating forces behind parent/guardian support of youth physical activity and nutrition. Although parents/guardians have an influential role in the lives of adolescents, this role did not translate broadly to measurable outcomes concerning T2DM risk factors for the 10-14 year old Northern Plains American Indian youth in the study. While this study was not conclusive regarding the influence of parent/guardian factors on youth disease risk factors, this topic merits further research in light of the increasing incidence of T2DM among American Indian youth.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:MONTANA/oai:etd.lib.umt.edu:etd-06112009-173623 |
| Date | 15 June 2009 |
| Creators | Ricci, Christiana Lea |
| Contributors | Curtis Noonan, Kari Jo Harris, Blakely D. Brown, Ph. D., Laura Dybdal, Ph D. |
| Publisher | The University of Montana |
| Source Sets | University of Montana Missoula |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.lib.umt.edu/theses/available/etd-06112009-173623/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University of Montana or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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