Inter generational Transmission of Inertia: Sedentariness and Depression as Obesogenic Pathways in Mother-Daughter Dyads in Kerala, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69980/ajpr.v27i1.944Keywords:
Intergenerational Transmission, Sedentariness, Inertia, Depression, Mother-Daughter Dyad, Obesity, Psychiatric RehabilitationAbstract
Objective: To examine how sedentariness, depression, and feelings of inertia are transmitted across generations and function as obesogenic behavior in mother-daughter dyads.
Methods: Sequential explanatory mixed-methods. N=120 dyads completed surveys on sedentariness, . nterviews. ANGELO framework assessed environment. Intergenerational transmission was tested via correlation, mediation, and thematic analysis.
Results: 68.3% of mothers and 100% of daughters reported ≥8h/day sitting. Strong intergenerational concordance was found for sedentariness r=.56, depression r=.47, and inertia r=.61, all p<.001. Three transmission pathways emerged: 1) Observational Modeling: daughters copied mothers’ “resting” as stress-coping, 2) Affective Contagion: shared depressive inertia reduced motivation for activity, 3) Environmental Structuring: mothers created home environments favoring sitting/screen time. Mediation analysis: Maternal inertia → Daughter sedentariness → Emotional eating → Dyadic obesity. OR=8.92, 95%CI:3.8-20.9, p<.001
Conclusions: Inertia and sedentariness are intergenerationally transmitted psychiatric-behavioral patterns. Psychiatric rehabilitation must target dyadic behavioral activation to disrupt transmission, rather than individual weight loss.
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