Parent feeding behavior and child appetite: Associations depend on feeding style

Abstract

Objective Eating behavior traits measured in early life predict eating behavior and weight trajectories later in development, and may be associated with certain parental feeding behaviors. Our goal was to investigate the relationship between a range of feeding behaviors, and preschoolers’ appetitive traits. Method Four hundred thirty-nine parents of UK 3–5 year olds completed scales measuring authoritarian vs. authoritative forms of limiting (Restriction vs. Monitoring) and promoting (Pressuring vs. Prompting) intake, as well as Emotional and Instrumental Feeding. Parents also completed scales measuring child Food responsiveness and Satiety responsiveness. Child BMI z-scores were calculated based on measured heights and weights. Results Parental Restriction was significantly associated with greater child Food responsiveness (p <.001), but parental Monitoring was not. Parental Pressuring was significantly associated with greater child Satiety responsiveness (p <.001), while parental Prompting was not. Parental Instrumental and Emotional feeding were both associated with greater child Food responsiveness (p <.001). All relationships were independent of child BMI z-score. Discussion Prospective data are needed to determine whether the parent–child feeding relationships identified here promote, or protect against, the development of eating pathology in children. However, our results suggest that cross-sectional associations depend on the style (e.g., authoritarian vs. authoritative), as well as the type of feeding behavior measured.

Ethnic differences in parental feeding behaviors in UK parents of preschoolers

“…Restriction and pressure to eat as measured using the Child Feeding Questionnaire [CFQ] (Birch et al, 2001) may be thought of as reflecting an authoritarian parental feeding style (high in both demandingness and responsiveness) (Carnell, Benson, Driggin, & Kolbe, 2014; Hughes, Power, Orlet Fisher, Mueller, & Nicklas, 2005). Restriction has been defined as parents’ limiting of the child’s access to foods, particularly highly processed, energy-dense snack-foods, and is correlated with avid appetite, increased intake, and higher child weight status (Carnell, Kim, & Pryor, 2012; Faith, Scanlon, Birch, Francis, & Sherry, 2004; Jansen et al, 2014; Ventura & Birch, 2008).…”

Validation of the Child Feeding Questionnaire in Spanish Parents of Schoolchildren

“…[7][8][9] However, more research exploring the mechanisms involved in parent feeding practices and children's eating behaviors is required to apply effective preventive interventions. 10,11 Parental control over children's eating behavior, such as pressuring children to eat and restricting the intake of palatable foods, have been associated with children's inability to regulate their own food intake. [12][13][14] This has led to an imbalance in children's eating habits and a possible increase in overweight and obesity, and other eating disorders during development.…”

“…Table 1 shows the original version of the CFQ's items by factors. The restriction subscale (RST) from the CFQ includes behaviors that limit the type and amount of food that may be eaten and is positively associated with food responsiveness, 10 BMI, 17 and disinhibited eating in girls. 12 Likewise, CFQconcern for child's weight (CN) is related to higher child weight 15 and total fat mass.…”

“…19 As for CFQ-pressure to eat (PE), several authors have shown an inverse association with weight measures in the child: namely, lower BMI, 17 lower total fat mass, 18 and greater satiety responsiveness. 10 Previous studies analyzed the CFQ validation in several populations. 7,15,[20][21][22][23] These studies found that the original model presented by Birch et al 15 was not sufficiently clear for their population samples and that RST was a problematic subscale.…”

Fat Tissue Accretion in Children and Adolescents: Interplay between Food Responsiveness, Gender, and the Home Availability of Snacks

“…As such, they learn how to rely on internal hunger and satiety signals for the self-regulation of food intake (also called “intuitive eating,” an eating style that is inversely related to BMI) and how to prevent that external cues influence food intake (Herbert et al, 2013). Furthermore, recent research in infants and toddlers suggest that it may even be possible to prevent the development of excessive FR levels by means of early psycho-education to parents, which (a) promotes the use of early feeding practices such as mere exposure to healthy food, limiting exposure to unhealthy food and feeding that recognizes and responds appropriately to cues of hunger and satiety (Daniels et al, 2014; Magarey et al, 2016), and (b) discourage the parenting strategies “using food as reward for children's behavior” and “using food to influence a child's emotions” (Carnell et al, 2014; Mallan et al, 2016). …”