Association between anthropometric measurements, hedonic hunger and occupational balance in adolescents and parental anthropometric measures and occupational balance

Purpose Understanding the interplay between parental and adolescent occupational balance and hedonic hunger is essential for addressing obesity. This study aims to investigate the relationships between adolescents’ anthropometric measurements, hedonic hunger and occupational balance, and their associations with parental anthropometric measures and occupational balance. Design/methodology/approach Adolescents aged 10–16 years and their parents were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Anthropometric measurements were taken using the TANITA BC 418 ST analyzer. Hedonic hunger was assessed using the child-adapted version of the Power of Food Scale (C-PFS), and occupational balance was evaluated using the Occupational Balance Questionnaire for parents and the Adolescent Activity Balance Scale (AABS) for adolescents. Correlations and linear regression analyses were conducted to explore relationships between variables, including adolescents’ body composition and AABS results. Findings A total of 119 parent-adolescent pairs participated. Parental body mass index (BMI) was positively correlated with adolescents’ BMI (r = 0.273, p < 0.05) and body fat ratio (r = 0.190 201, p < 0.05). Adolescents’ PFS “food availability” scores were significantly associated with BMI (β = 0.289, p = 0.011). No significant relationship was observed between parental occupational balance and adolescents’ PFS scores or BMI. However, parental BMI negatively correlated with adolescents’ PFS total scores (r = −0.277, p < 0.05). Research limitations/implications The cross-sectional design limits causal inference, and the relatively small sample size may reduce generalizability. Self-reported questionnaire data may be subject to response bias. Despite these limitations, the findings highlight the importance of family-related factors in adolescent obesity and hedonic hunger, suggesting that future longitudinal studies with larger samples are needed to clarify the role of occupational balance in adolescent health behaviors. Originality/value Parental BMI showed a significant correlation with adolescents’ BMI, but it was not a significant predictor in the regression analysis; no relationship was observed with adolescents’ hedonic hunger. However, the relationship between parental occupational balance and adolescent health behaviors remains unclear, warranting further research with larger sample sizes.