2022 Volume 30 Issue 1 Pages 3-13
Objective: The objective of this study was to clarify the relationship between the competencies for living possessed by children in upper grades of elementary school and their parents’ attitudes and behaviors regarding eating habits.
Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among children who were in the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades of elementary school, and their parents concerning both the children’s competencies for living and parental attitudes and behaviors regarding eating habits. The relationship was examined through multiple regression analysis using a stepwise method, with scores for competencies for living (psychosocial ability, moral ability, and physical ability) as dependent variables, and the parental attitudes and behaviors regarding eating habits were examined as independent variables.
Results: The scores for competencies for living were related to parental concern about children’s lack of exercise (β=−0.15 P=0.001), parents’ perceptions of children skipping breakfast (β=−0.10 P=0.018), and the teaching of mealtime greetings (β=0.10 P=0.016) as the parental attitudes and behaviors. Similar associations were found for moral ability and physical ability. The scores for psychosocial ability were also related to parents skipping breakfast and the time they spent preparing breakfast.
Conclusion: Parental concern about children’s lack of exercise and parental perceptions regarding children skipping breakfast were negative factors for children’s competencies for living, while teaching mealtime greetings was a positive factor. It was suggested that improving parental attitude and behavior regarding eating habits may promote the development of children’s competencies for living.
