Social and Physical Environmental Factors and Child Overweight in a Sample of American and Czech School-aged Children: A Pilot Study

ObjectiveTo compare environmental factors that influence body mass index for age (BMI-for-age) between a sample of American and Czech school-aged children.DesignPilot study. A parent questionnaire and school visits were used to collect data from parents and children.SettingPublic schools in 1 American and 2 Czech cities.ParticipantsForty-five American and 97 Czech 4th- through 6th-graders and their parents.Variables MeasuredParenting style, food socialization and preparation practices, healthful food availability, and children's BMI-for-age were measured.AnalysisFactors from the parental scales were derived using factor analysis. Independent t tests compared environmental factors between American and Czech families. A regression model was used to identify environmental variables associated with BMI-for-age.ResultsAmerican parents used authoritative parenting style and positive food socialization practices more often than Czech parents (P <.001). Availability of healthful food and parental involvement in food preparation were higher (P <.001) in Czech households. Positive encouraging socialization practices, less frequent use of negative explanations, and a greater availability of vegetables were associated with lower BMI-for-age in the Czech sample of children.Conclusions and ImplicationsA future study should focus on identifying environmental factors that influence children's BMI-for-age with a large sample of Czech and American parents and their school-aged children.