Nutrient Intakes of Children: Associations with Maternal Use of Pressure to Eat and a Healthy Home Food Environment

Abstract

Maternal feeding practices have been shown to have a powerful influence on shaping dietary behaviors of children. Nonetheless, the association with the nutrient intake of children has not been previously explored. This study aimed to investigate the associations of maternal use of pressure to eat (PE) and a healthy home food environment (HHFE) with nutrient intakes in children (6–12 years old). Data of 424 mother–child dyads were included. Maternal use of PE and a HHFE were assessed using a validated questionnaire. Child food intake was collected using telephone-administered 24 h recalls. Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate the associations of maternal feeding practices with energy and nutrient intakes of children. Maternal use of PE predicted higher children’s intake of carbohydrate (B = 0.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.19 to 1.62) and dietary fiber (B = 1.25, 95% CI 0.32 to 2.18) and lower fat intake (B = −0.74, 95% CI −1.37 to −0.11). Maternal use of a HHFE was significantly positively associated with protein intake (B = 0.99, 95% CI 0.53 to 1.46) and negatively associated with free sugar intake in children (B = −3.56, 95% CI −5.03 to −2.09). Our findings indicate that nutrient intakes of children are linked to feeding practices employed by mothers. Further studies are warranted to gain a more contextualized understanding of mother–child feeding interactions and to develop effective interventions.