Parental socioeconomic status and soft drink consumption of the child. The mediating proportion of parenting practices

The hypothesis of this study is twofold and states that parental socioeconomic status has an effect on the soft drink consumption of the child, and that this effect is mediated by the soft drink related parenting practices. One thousand six hundred and thirty-nine parents of 2.5–7 year old children from 34 Flemish pre-primary and primary schools, completed a self-administered questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, soft drink consumption and soft drink related parenting practices. Causal mediation analyses showed an effect of socioeconomic status on soft drink consumption of the child: children from high socioeconomic status consume 0.42 times the amount of soft drinks of children from lower socioeconomic status. Interestingly, this effect is almost entirely mediated by three soft drink parenting practices: soft drinks served at meals, the child can take soft drink whenever he or she wants and having soft drinks at home.

► Parental SES has an effect on soft drink consumption of the 2.5–6-year-old child. ► The effect of SES on soft drink consumption is mediated by parenting practices. ► Mediating parenting practices are accessibility, permissiveness and availability. ► High SES children drink 0.42 times the amount of soft drink compared with low SES.