How Parents Influence Kids' Health Behaviors

How you respond to illness may depend on a variety of factors. Yet research indicates your parents may have played a significant role in shaping your perception and reaction to illness behaviors you can in turn pass along to your children.

"Parents tend to reinforce and model behaviors for their children, and those behaviors may include dealing with illness," explains Rona Levy, Ph.D., professor at the University of Washington School of Social Work.

Dr. Levy, who has conducted research into illness behaviors, explains that a person's being labeled ill results from a combination of two factors. The first is physical, such as a fever, sore throat, or other problems indicated in medical tests. The second factor is referred to as "illness behavior." This is exhibited through the following processes: perception and thoughts of feeling ill, verbally describing an illness to others, altering daily activities, and seeking medical treatment.

"A parent may have a role in determining illness behavior," Dr. Levy says. "Some people may remember their mother letting them stay home from school or receiving a lot of attention when they weren't feeling well. Others may have been treated differently."

Dr. Levy notes that actions or behaviors reinforced by parents often increase in frequency. Related to this finding, initial research indicates that a child who receives greater attention for a certain type of illness behavior may be more inclined to suffer from such complaints as an adult. Additionally, parents and children may follow similar patterns when it comes to using health services, one form of illness behavior.

"We don't know the specifics about which actions may influence children, but there is good indication there are connections between generations," she says.

"I'm not saying parents should always ignore their children's illness complaints; they should simply take note that they may be able to shape their child's illness behavior," Dr. Levy says. "Parents need to be aware that kids watch what they do and often imitate it. It's true for many activities, and it's also true for illness."