Examining child mealtime behavior as parents are coached to implement the Mealtime PREP intervention in the home: Findings from a pilot study

Abstract

Introduction The purpose of this study was to examine parental use of evidence-based mealtime strategies, child mealtime behavior, and parental identification of mealtime problems over time as parents were coached to implement the Promoting Routines of Exploration and Play during Mealtime intervention as part of a pilot study. Method This repeated measures study included data collection during three phases: (a) pre-intervention; (b) intervention; (c) post-intervention. Primary outcome measures included a parental strategy use checklist (parental strategy use) and the Behavioral Pediatric Feeding Assessment (problematic child behavior and parental identification of mealtime problems). Linear mixed models were fitted to assess change over time. Results We observed significant improvements in parental strategy use ( p < .001), child mealtime behavior ( p < .001), and parental perception of mealtime problems ( p = .002) over time. Conclusions The results of these analyses signal that empowering parents to integrate evidence-based strategies into child mealtimes is a promising approach to managing child mealtime behavior. More research is needed to determine the true relationship between parental strategy use and child behavior over time.

Mealtime behaviours of young children with sensory food aversions: An observational study

“…When increasing mealtime duration, it is important to incorporate exposure and exploration of healthy targeted foods (e.g., fruits, vegetables and lean proteins) to facilitate wider dietary variety and not simply increased consumption of preferred foods. We would suggest that occupational therapy clinicians increase mealtime duration by incorporating positive strategies such as a regular mealtime routines and play-based exploration to mitigate negative mealtime experiences (Caldwell et al, 2020). Future experimental research with larger samples is warranted to parse out the complex relationships among mealtime duration, child behaviour and child food acceptance during early childhood.…”

“…This observational study is a secondary analysis of data collected as part of a larger prospective pilot study (Caldwell et al, 2020). We recruited a convenience sample of 21 children (aged 18-60 months) and their caregivers from southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States of America through primary care offices, early intervention programmes and online (social media) advertisements.…”

Trastornos alimentarios pediátricos con impacto nutricional severo

“…Sandra Massa Dalma Judith González Moreira Incluso, algunos reportes más recientes destacan que las familias, en un 50% de los casos, describen a sus hijos como "comedores quisquillosos" en algún momento de la infancia (Caldwell et al, 2020). Según Campuzano (2020), en la actualidad, la alimentación es una preocupación frecuente en la consulta pediátrica.…”

“…En sintonía, diferentes autores afirman que los/as niños/as que se muestran como "comedores quisquillosos" durante la primera infancia conducen a rutinas disfuncionales a la hora de comer, a un mayor estrés de los cuidadores/as, y a un impacto negativo en las relaciones familiares (Caldwell et al, 2020).…”

“…La detección precoz, las intervenciones oportunas, y el enfoque centrado en la familia son fundamentales para evitar complicaciones severas y propiciar un vínculo placentero a la hora de comer. Un enfoque centrado en la familia que promueva cambios cotidianos en el hogar es fundamental para mejorar la nutrición general de los niños pequeños (Caldwell et al, 2020).…”