Parental feeding practices and children's disordered eating among single parents and co‐parents

Abstract

Objective Some parental feeding practices are associated with pediatric disordered eating and weight status. Existing research, however, has focused on maternal feeding practices in co‐parent households. Single parents and fathers are notably understudied in this area. The current study examined associations of parental feeding practices with child disordered eating behaviors and weight, and compared associations between single mothers and fathers with a matched sample of co‐parenting mothers and fathers. Method Parents (N = 524) of youth between 5 and 16 years completed an online survey that included measures of parental feeding practices and unhealthy eating/weight‐related parenting practices. Co‐parents were matched to each single parent based on gender, race, ethnicity, education level, age, and BMI. Results Single parents reported significantly greater concern about their child's weight, eating and shape, and reported engaging in more restraint and restriction of their child's eating, as well as having more perceived responsibility of their child's eating than caregivers in co‐parent households. Children of single parents were significantly more likely to engage in secretive eating. Discussion Associations between single parents' feeding practices and child weight and disordered eating parallel the broader literature. There were differences between single mothers and fathers and co‐parenting mothers and fathers, particularly in their report of their unhealthy eating/weight‐related parenting practices. Such differences may influence children's longer‐term eating behaviors and weight status. Further research on single‐parent households is needed, including longitudinal and epidemiological studies.

How parents talk about weight: Qualitative content analysis using a randomized experiment study design.

“…Parents completed an adapted “parenting” version to assess their unhealthy attitudes about their child’s eating and weight. The words “you” and “your” for items that typically assess an individual’s eating behaviors were replaced with “your child” to gather information on the parent’s perspective of their child’s eating (Kamody & Lydecker, 2021). Subscales reflect parents’ report of their dissatisfaction with their child’s weight or shape (Dissatisfaction) and their overevaluation of themselves as parents according to their child’s weight or shape (Parental Overvaluation).…”

The children of parents who receive treatment for binge‐eating disorder experience improvements in disordered eating

“…The eating disorder examination‐questionnaire, which has good test–retest reliability (Berg et al, 2012), assessed binge‐eating frequency (objectively large binge‐eating episodes) during the past 28 days. The eating disorder examination‐questionnaire, parent version (Kamody & Lydecker, 2021), obtained parent‐reported frequencies of child binge‐eating episodes, loss‐of‐control‐eating episodes, and secretive‐eating episodes during the past 28 days. We added food‐hoarding episodes given relevance to child binge eating (Fiechtner et al, 2018).…”

School absenteeism and impairment associated with weight bullying

“…The EDE‐Q assesses instances of disordered eating over the past 28 days, including binge‐eating episodes, purging episodes, and secretive‐eating episodes (Fairburn & Beglin, 1994). Items were adapted for parents to report about their child (Kamody & Lydecker, 2021). Eating behaviors were dichotomized as weekly or greater (presence) or less than weekly (absence).…”