Assessing the Influence of Parenting Styles on Adult Health Outcomes in Ondo City, Nigeria
Abstract
This study assessed the influence of parenting styles on adult health outcomes, including mental, physical, nutritional, and behavioural health in Ondo City. The research was guided by four objectives which focused on identifying predominant parenting styles and assessing their influence on different dimensions of health outcomes. A descriptive cross-sectional research design was adopted, and data were obtained from 3,000 participants using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) and inferential statistics (chi-square tests) were used for data analysis at a 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that authoritative parenting was the most commonly reported style, followed by authoritarian, permissive, and neglectful parenting. Descriptive results showed that individuals exposed to authoritative parenting generally reported better mental, physical,nutritional, and behavioural health outcomes, while neglectful parenting was associated with poorer outcomes across the three domains. However, chi-square analysis indicated no significant association between parenting style and both mental health (χ² (12) =12.68, p = .393) and physical health outcomes (χ² (6) = 9.27, p = .160). In contrast, a significant relationship was found between parenting style, nutritional and behaviouralhealth outcomes (χ² (6) = 16.94, p = .010). The study concludes that while parenting style may not independently determine all health outcomes, it plays a significant role in shaping nutritional and behavioural health patterns. It recommends the promotion of authoritative parenting through targeted family education, community support programmes, and policy interventions aimed at improving overall child and adolescent wellbeing.