Relationships between parent feeding behaviors and parent and child characteristics in Brazilian preschoolers: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundEating habits formed in early childhood are influenced by parental feeding behaviors, warranting investigation of predictors and correlates of parent feeding. We aimed to describe relationships between parental feeding practices and parent and child characteristics in a sample of Brazilian preschoolers.MethodsFour hundred and two parents of preschoolers enrolled in private schools of São Paulo and Campinas, Brazil, completed a Brazilian version of the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire, as well as questions about parental attitudes, child food intake, other obesity-associated behaviors, and socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. We ran bivariate logistic regression models examining associations between independent variables and each feeding practice. Next, we ran multiple logistic regression models predicting each parental feeding practice.ResultsGreater ‘Restriction for Weight Control’ and ‘Restriction for Health’ were associated with lower maternal education (OR = 2.42 (CI 95% 1.07–5.48) and 2.79 (CI 95% 1.25–6.22), respectively), and with higher concern about child overweight (OR = 2.46, CI 95% 1.64–3.69 for ‘Restriction for Weight Control’, only), while greater ‘Pressure’ was associated with greater concern about child underweight (OR = 2.30, CI 95% 1.53–3.47) and lower maternal BMI (OR = 0.94, CI 95% 0.88–1.00). Greater use of ‘Emotion Regulation/ Food as Reward’ was associated with lower maternal education (OR = 2.22, CI 95% 1.05–4.71). In analyses of positive feeding practices, lesser use of ‘Healthy Eating Guidance’ and ‘Monitoring’ was associated with greater intake of less healthy foods in children (OR = 1.53 (CI 95% 1.01–2.32) and OR = 1.94 (CI 95% 1.27–2.97), respectively), and greater use of screen devices (OR = 1.59 (CI 95% 1.04–2.44) and OR = 1.57 (CI 95% 1.03–2.39), respectively). Lesser use of ‘Healthy Eating Guidance’ was additionally associated with higher maternal BMI (OR = 1.09, CI 95% 1.03–1.16), and lesser use of ‘Monitoring’ with lesser perceived parent responsibility for child feeding (OR = 1.68, CI 95% 1.12–2.52).ConclusionsOur results demonstrate diverse socioeconomic, anthropometric and behavioral correlates of parent feeding in a large Brazilian sample of parents of preschoolers.

Maternal perception of child weight and concern about child overweight mediates the relationship between child weight and non-responsive feeding practices

“…Another possible explanation is that important factors related to maternal feeding practices might have been missed [50]. Compared to mothers recruited in other studies [17,25,31], mothers in our study showed a relatively low level of weight concern. Additionally, the correlations between weight concern and maternal feeding practices were weak.…”

“…Many studies have identified factors related to non-responsive feeding practices [13][14][15][16][17]. Among these factors, child weight has been an important factor [13, [15][16][17].…”

“…Many studies have identified factors related to non-responsive feeding practices [13][14][15][16][17]. Among these factors, child weight has been an important factor [13, [15][16][17]. Longitudinal studies indicated that mothers of children with higher body mass index (BMI) Z-scores were more likely to apply restrictive feeding practices [18][19][20] and monitor their children's diet [18] and less likely to apply pressure to eat [18,20] than mothers of children with lower BMI Z-scores.…”

“…A study of 7-to 9-year-old children in the U.K. reported that maternal concern about overweight fully mediated the relationship between child adiposity and the use of restrictive feeding practices [31]. In addition, previous research has indicated that child weight plays an important role in caregivers' feeding practices [13,[15][16][17]25].…”

Predicting what mothers feed their preschoolers: Guided by an extended theory of planned behaviour

“…Before effective interventions can be designed, formative research is needed to identify the key predictors of parents' decision making for healthy feeding practices. Previous studies that have investigated parents' feeding behaviours of preschoolers mostly focused on associating parent characteristics to parents' feeding behaviours (e.g., Kröller & Warschburger, 2008;McCurdy, Gorman, Kisler, & Metallinos-Katsaras, 2014;McCurdy, Gorman, & Metallinos-Katsaras, 2010;Warkentin, Mais, de Oliveira, Carnell, & de Aguiar CarrazedoTaddei, 2018). These studies found that parents' education, BMI and mental health (i.e., maternal depression) were associated with healthy feeding practices in preschoolers.…”