Maternal Self-efficacy and Family Health Routines

Purpose: Family health is a system comprising routines or habitual practices. This study investigated the relationships between maternal self-efficacy (SE) and obesity, habitual smoking, breastfeeding, and children’s sleeping patterns. Methods: Participants (98 women) attending a weight loss clinic reported on themselves and their 172 biological children. Mothers provided demographic information for parents and children and completed the 20-item Family Nutrition and Physical Activity Scale (FNPA). Maternal SE was assessed with a 13-item Confidence Survey, which measures confidence to carry out activities related to healthy family meals and family activity. FNPA results have been reported in an earlier publication. Results: Normal-weight mothers had more favorable (higher) SE scores compared with overweight mothers. There were positive relationships between SE and the FNPA and children’s sleep patterns in younger children. There were no significant relationships between SE and children’s body mass index (BMI), breastfeeding patterns, or parental smoking habits. Higher SE was associated with FNPA constructs related to family and meal patterns, restriction/reward, screen time behavior and monitoring, family activity involvement and family routine. Children’s BMI was correlated with mother’s FNPA score. Breastfeeding was associated with only the family environment construct of FNPA and ethnicity. Conclusion: This study looked at relationships between SE and selected behaviors that have been associated with family health. Maternal SE has positive relationships with some healthy habits/family routines. More research is needed regarding the factors that influence SE in family systems for health promotion.