Parenting styles and health-related behavior: An investigation of the mediation of self-esteem based on TwinLife data

This study investigate the relationships among parenting styles, self-esteem, and health-related behavior, with a particular focus on the mediating role of self-esteem in a longitudinal framework. In addition, the mediation effect on parents' health-related behavior will be controlled for in order to account for potential imitation effects. Parenting styles are conceptualized along the two dimensions of emotional warmth and psychological control, yielding four prototypical categories: authoritative (high warmth, high control), authoritarian (low warmth, high control), neglectful (low warmth, low control), and permissive (high warmth, low control) (Lamborn et al., 1991). Prior research has consistently demonstrated associations between authoritative parenting and higher levels of self-esteem in children (Baumrind, 1967; Milevsky et al., 2007). Further evidence suggests that authoritative parenting is positively related to healthier behavioral outcomes (Berge et al., 2010; Lamborn et al., 1991; Philips et al., 2014). Higher self-esteem also appears to be associated with higher health-related behavior (Lowery et al., 2005; Park et al., 2016). There is therefore evidence that self-esteem could act as a mediator in the relationship between parenting styles and health-related behavior, but most studies to date have focused either on the direct effect of parenting styles on health-related behavior or on self-esteem, without comprehensively investigating the potential mediating role of self-esteem. The present study extends this line of research by examining the mediating effect of self-esteem longitudinally, while simultaneously controlling for parental health-related behavior. Analyses will be conducted using representative data in the context of my master’s thesis. By addressing this gap, the study aims to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms through which parenting influences the development of health-related behaviors, and of the role self-esteem may play in this process. H1a: Higher maternal warmth will longitudinally predict higher self-esteem, which in turn will longitudinally promote health-promoting behavior (mediation). H1b: Higher maternal psychological control will longitudinally predict higher self-esteem, which in turn will longitudinally promote health-promoting behavior (mediation). H1c: Higher maternal warmth in interaction with higher psychological control will longitudinally predict even higher self-esteem, which is longitudinally positively associated with health-promoting behavior (moderated mediation). H2: These relationships remain intact when controlling maternal health behavior. Baumrind, D. (1967). Child care practices anteceding three patterns of preschool behavior. Genetic Psychology Monographs, 75(1), 43–88. Berge, J. M., Wall, M., Loth, K., & Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2010). Parenting Style as a Predictor of Adolescent Weight and Weight-Related Behaviors. Journal of Adolescent Health, 46(4), 331– 338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.08.004 Lamborn, S. D., Mounts, N. S., Steinberg, L., & Dornbusch, S. M. (1991). Patterns of Competence and Adjustment among Adolescents from Authoritative, Authoritarian, Indulgent, and Neglectful Families. Child Development, 62(5), 1049. https://doi.org/10.2307/1131151 Lowery, S. E., Kurpius, S. E. R., Befort, C., Blanks, E. H., Sollenberger, S., Nicpon, M. F., & Huser, L. (2005). Body Image, Self-Esteem, and Health-Related Behaviors Among Male and Female First Year College Students. Journal of College Student Development, 46(6), 612–623. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2005.0062 Milevsky, A., Schlechter, M., Netter, S., & Keehn, D. (2007). Maternal and Paternal Parenting Styles in Adolescents: Associations with Self-Esteem, Depression and Life-Satisfaction. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 16(1), 39–47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-006-9066-5 Park, J., Kim, Y.-H., Park, S.-J., Suh, S., & Lee, H.-J. (2016). The relationship between self-esteem and overall health behaviors in Korean adolescents. Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, 4(1), 175–185. https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2016.1246971 Philips, N., Sioen, I., Michels, N., Sleddens, E., & De Henauw, S. (2014). The influence of parenting style on health related behavior of children: Findings from the ChiBS study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 11(1), 95. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-014