The Mediating Role of Social Control in the Relationship between Family Communication Patterns and Emerging Adults’ Weight-Related Outcomes

ABSTRACT Emerging adults leaving home face an important transition. Despite increased independence, parent communication continues to influence weight/body perceptions. Emerging adults (N = 202) reported on a parent’s use of Family Communication Patterns (FCP) and social control to predict three outcomes: weight concern, body dissatisfaction, and weight-related communication apprehension (WRCA). Mediation analysis revealed that participants from conformity-oriented families reported greater weight concern and WRCA through a parent’s use of greater negative social control. Participants from conversation-oriented families reported lower weight concern and WRCA through a parent’s use of lower negative social control. Theoretical implications are offered to explain how FCP climates are associated with body-concept outcomes via social control behaviors, and practical implications are offered for family-focused health practitioners.