The Mediating Role of Screen-Based Sedentary Behaviors in the Association of Parental Educational Level and BMI with Preschoolers’ Ultra-Processed Food Consumption

Background/Objectives: The mediating role of the diverse range of screen-based sedentary behaviors (SBs) remains understudied, particularly at younger ages. The present study examined the direct and indirect effects of parental BMI and education on ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption among presch...

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Autores: Machado-Rodrigues, Aristides M., Fernandes, Helder Miguel, Stabelini Neto, António, Dos Santos, Elizabete Alexandre, Tur, Josep A., Padez, Cristina, Rodrigues, Daniela
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2026
País:España
Institución:Conselleria de Salut i Consum del Govern de les Illes Balears
Repositorio:Docusalut
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:dnet:docusalut___::b1c3f7bf97be16b9c415cf71f270723f
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13003/27198
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Body Mass Index
Child
Child, Preschool
Cross-Sectional Studies
Educational Status
Fast Foods
Feeding Behavior
Female
Food, Processed
Humans
Male
Parents
Pediatric Obesity
Screen Time
Sedentary Behavior
Television
Índice de Masa Corporal
Niño
Preescolar
Estudios Transversales
Escolaridad
Comida Rápida
Conducta Alimentaria
Femenino
Alimentos Procesados
Humanos
Masculino
Padres
Obesidad Infantil
Tiempo de Pantalla
Conducta Sedentaria
Televisión
mediation analysis
parental BMI
preschool children
screen time
ultra-processed foods
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oai_identifier_str oai:dnet:docusalut___::b1c3f7bf97be16b9c415cf71f270723f
network_acronym_str ES
network_name_str España
repository_id_str
spelling The Mediating Role of Screen-Based Sedentary Behaviors in the Association of Parental Educational Level and BMI with Preschoolers’ Ultra-Processed Food ConsumptionMachado-Rodrigues, Aristides M.Fernandes, Helder MiguelStabelini Neto, AntónioDos Santos, Elizabete AlexandreTur, Josep A.Padez, CristinaRodrigues, DanielaBody Mass IndexChildChild, PreschoolCross-Sectional StudiesEducational StatusFast FoodsFeeding BehaviorFemaleFood, ProcessedHumansMaleParentsPediatric ObesityScreen TimeSedentary BehaviorTelevisionÍndice de Masa CorporalNiñoPreescolarEstudios TransversalesEscolaridadComida RápidaConducta AlimentariaFemeninoAlimentos ProcesadosHumanosMasculinoPadresObesidad InfantilTiempo de PantallaConducta SedentariaTelevisiónmediation analysisparental BMIpreschool childrenscreen timeultra-processed foodsBackground/Objectives: The mediating role of the diverse range of screen-based sedentary behaviors (SBs) remains understudied, particularly at younger ages. The present study examined the direct and indirect effects of parental BMI and education on ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption among preschoolers, testing the potential mediating role of screen time. Methods: The cross-sectional study sample comprised 919 kindergarten children (484 boys, 52.7%), with ages ranging from 2.2 to 6.8 years (mean: 4.7 ± 1.0 years). Screen-based sedentary behaviors (television viewing, smartphone use, tablet use, computer use, and playing electronic games) were measured by proxy-report fulfilled by parents, separately for weekdays and weekends. UPF consumption (drinks/yogurts, packaged/fast foods, and sweet/salty snacks) was assessed via 24 h recall scales. Path analysis mediation models tested direct effects of maternal/paternal BMI and education on UPF intake, and indirect effects through screen time, controlling for child age and sex. Results: Lower parental education and higher parental BMI were associated with increased mobile device use and UPF consumption (r = 0.10–0.28). Screen-based sedentary behaviors mediated the association between maternal BMI and UPF pathways (15–90% of total effects), particularly for sweet and salty snacks (50–90%). Parental education effects were also mediated by screen time (9–23% indirect effects), with paternal education showing stronger protection against packaged/fast foods. Conclusions: Mobile devices and watching television partially mediate intergenerational transmission of obesogenic dietary patterns from parental BMI/education to preschoolers’ UPF consumption. Findings of the current study support family-centered interventions targeting screen-time limits and UPF exposure, mainly at the weekends, to prevent early obesity trajectories.MDPI AG20262026-03-2720262026-03-27research articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_2df8fbb1info:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13003/27198reponame:Docusalutinstname:Conselleria de Salut i Consum del Govern de les Illes BalearsInglésengopen accesshttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2Attribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:dnet:docusalut___::b1c3f7bf97be16b9c415cf71f270723f2026-06-22T12:44:07Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv The Mediating Role of Screen-Based Sedentary Behaviors in the Association of Parental Educational Level and BMI with Preschoolers’ Ultra-Processed Food Consumption
title The Mediating Role of Screen-Based Sedentary Behaviors in the Association of Parental Educational Level and BMI with Preschoolers’ Ultra-Processed Food Consumption
spellingShingle The Mediating Role of Screen-Based Sedentary Behaviors in the Association of Parental Educational Level and BMI with Preschoolers’ Ultra-Processed Food Consumption
Machado-Rodrigues, Aristides M.
Body Mass Index
Child
Child, Preschool
Cross-Sectional Studies
Educational Status
Fast Foods
Feeding Behavior
Female
Food, Processed
Humans
Male
Parents
Pediatric Obesity
Screen Time
Sedentary Behavior
Television
Índice de Masa Corporal
Niño
Preescolar
Estudios Transversales
Escolaridad
Comida Rápida
Conducta Alimentaria
Femenino
Alimentos Procesados
Humanos
Masculino
Padres
Obesidad Infantil
Tiempo de Pantalla
Conducta Sedentaria
Televisión
mediation analysis
parental BMI
preschool children
screen time
ultra-processed foods
title_short The Mediating Role of Screen-Based Sedentary Behaviors in the Association of Parental Educational Level and BMI with Preschoolers’ Ultra-Processed Food Consumption
title_full The Mediating Role of Screen-Based Sedentary Behaviors in the Association of Parental Educational Level and BMI with Preschoolers’ Ultra-Processed Food Consumption
title_fullStr The Mediating Role of Screen-Based Sedentary Behaviors in the Association of Parental Educational Level and BMI with Preschoolers’ Ultra-Processed Food Consumption
title_full_unstemmed The Mediating Role of Screen-Based Sedentary Behaviors in the Association of Parental Educational Level and BMI with Preschoolers’ Ultra-Processed Food Consumption
title_sort The Mediating Role of Screen-Based Sedentary Behaviors in the Association of Parental Educational Level and BMI with Preschoolers’ Ultra-Processed Food Consumption
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Machado-Rodrigues, Aristides M.
Fernandes, Helder Miguel
Stabelini Neto, António
Dos Santos, Elizabete Alexandre
Tur, Josep A.
Padez, Cristina
Rodrigues, Daniela
author Machado-Rodrigues, Aristides M.
author_facet Machado-Rodrigues, Aristides M.
Fernandes, Helder Miguel
Stabelini Neto, António
Dos Santos, Elizabete Alexandre
Tur, Josep A.
Padez, Cristina
Rodrigues, Daniela
author_role author
author2 Fernandes, Helder Miguel
Stabelini Neto, António
Dos Santos, Elizabete Alexandre
Tur, Josep A.
Padez, Cristina
Rodrigues, Daniela
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Body Mass Index
Child
Child, Preschool
Cross-Sectional Studies
Educational Status
Fast Foods
Feeding Behavior
Female
Food, Processed
Humans
Male
Parents
Pediatric Obesity
Screen Time
Sedentary Behavior
Television
Índice de Masa Corporal
Niño
Preescolar
Estudios Transversales
Escolaridad
Comida Rápida
Conducta Alimentaria
Femenino
Alimentos Procesados
Humanos
Masculino
Padres
Obesidad Infantil
Tiempo de Pantalla
Conducta Sedentaria
Televisión
mediation analysis
parental BMI
preschool children
screen time
ultra-processed foods
topic Body Mass Index
Child
Child, Preschool
Cross-Sectional Studies
Educational Status
Fast Foods
Feeding Behavior
Female
Food, Processed
Humans
Male
Parents
Pediatric Obesity
Screen Time
Sedentary Behavior
Television
Índice de Masa Corporal
Niño
Preescolar
Estudios Transversales
Escolaridad
Comida Rápida
Conducta Alimentaria
Femenino
Alimentos Procesados
Humanos
Masculino
Padres
Obesidad Infantil
Tiempo de Pantalla
Conducta Sedentaria
Televisión
mediation analysis
parental BMI
preschool children
screen time
ultra-processed foods
description Background/Objectives: The mediating role of the diverse range of screen-based sedentary behaviors (SBs) remains understudied, particularly at younger ages. The present study examined the direct and indirect effects of parental BMI and education on ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption among preschoolers, testing the potential mediating role of screen time. Methods: The cross-sectional study sample comprised 919 kindergarten children (484 boys, 52.7%), with ages ranging from 2.2 to 6.8 years (mean: 4.7 ± 1.0 years). Screen-based sedentary behaviors (television viewing, smartphone use, tablet use, computer use, and playing electronic games) were measured by proxy-report fulfilled by parents, separately for weekdays and weekends. UPF consumption (drinks/yogurts, packaged/fast foods, and sweet/salty snacks) was assessed via 24 h recall scales. Path analysis mediation models tested direct effects of maternal/paternal BMI and education on UPF intake, and indirect effects through screen time, controlling for child age and sex. Results: Lower parental education and higher parental BMI were associated with increased mobile device use and UPF consumption (r = 0.10–0.28). Screen-based sedentary behaviors mediated the association between maternal BMI and UPF pathways (15–90% of total effects), particularly for sweet and salty snacks (50–90%). Parental education effects were also mediated by screen time (9–23% indirect effects), with paternal education showing stronger protection against packaged/fast foods. Conclusions: Mobile devices and watching television partially mediate intergenerational transmission of obesogenic dietary patterns from parental BMI/education to preschoolers’ UPF consumption. Findings of the current study support family-centered interventions targeting screen-time limits and UPF exposure, mainly at the weekends, to prevent early obesity trajectories.
publishDate 2026
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2026
2026-03-27
2026
2026-03-27
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv research article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_2df8fbb1
dc.type.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13003/27198
url https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13003/27198
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
eng
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
language eng
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
Attribution 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.rights.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
Attribution 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv MDPI AG
publisher.none.fl_str_mv MDPI AG
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Docusalut
instname:Conselleria de Salut i Consum del Govern de les Illes Balears
instname_str Conselleria de Salut i Consum del Govern de les Illes Balears
reponame_str Docusalut
collection Docusalut
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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score 15,812429

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