Parenting stress and other kinds of psychological stress were measured longitudinally from birth and related to children’s self-esteem at age 8. 3837 children answered a Swedish instrument assessing self-esteem in 5 domains. Generalized linear models showed a relation between parenting stress and lower self-esteem in all domains (e.g., cross-sectional for domain mental well-being: Odds ratio=1.76, p<.001 and longitudinal from age 1: Odds ratio=1.38, p<.001). This relation was not explained by other factors, such as serious life events, the child’s temperament or socioeconomy, and it was proposed that interventions aimed at reducing parenting stress could help children even long term.

Objective: To study possible relations between parents’ psychological stress, children’s selfesteem and children’s saliva cortisol levels with regard to a mild stressor (drawing a blood sample).

Method: Parenting stress and serious life events at birth, age 1, age 2, age 5 and age 8, and children’s self-esteem at age 8 were assessed. 82 paired saliva samples just before and 30 minutes after a children’s blood was drawn were analyzed.

Results: Repeated measure general linear models indicated a relation between higher parenting stress at age 1 (p=0.03) and at age 8 (p<0.01), and elevated cortisol levels. No relation was found for serious life events. Lack of self-esteem in the domain of mental well-being was related to elevated cortisol levels (p=0.02).

Conclusion: Parenting stress related to elevated cortisol levels of their children cross-sectionally and longitudinally and may be used as an indicator for children’s psychological stress in epidemiological studies.

Body dissatisfaction has been related to low self-esteem and depression in adolescents. With regard to the current world wide rise in childhood obesity and common stigmatization of adults and children with obesity, easy to use and cost effective measurements of body dissatisfaction would be helpful in epidemiological research. In the current study, detailed data on body measurements with regard to perceived and ideal body size and body dissatisfaction, as measured with the figure preference task, are presented for a population based sample of 3837 children. Perceived body size correlations to weight, body mass index [BMI], and waist circumference were between 0.41 and 0.54; and to height between 0.12 and 0.21. Odds ratios for lower self-esteem increased with increase in body dissatisfaction. Gender differences in body dissatisfaction were present but not found in relation to self-esteem. It is concluded that the figure preference task yields valuable information in epidemiological studies of children as young as 7.5 years of age. It is argued, that the figure preference task is an additional measurement which theoretically relates to psychological stress in childhood.

Objective: To examine whether there is a relationship between psychological stress in the family and obesity in 5- to 6-year-old children.

Study design: A total of 7443 Swedish families reported on psychological stress across 4 domains as part of the prospective All Babies in Southeast Sweden-project (ABIS). Domains assessed included serious life events, parenting stress, lack of social support, and parental worries. These variables were summarized in cross-sectional and longitudinal composite measures of psychological stress. Logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios for childhood obesity for psychological stress.

Results: A total of 4.2% of the children were obese according to age-adjusted international standards. Children from families that reported stress in at least 2 of the 4 domains assessed had significantly higher adjusted odds ratios (OR) for obesity, both cross-sectionally (OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.3-3.5; P < .01.) and longitudinally (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.3-5.4, P < .01).

Conclusion: Psychological stress in the family may be a contributing factor for childhood obesity. This finding underscores how important it is to give children with obesity and their families psychological and social support in addition to recommendations about changing life style.