Abstract
Objectives
To evaluate the relationship of home fruit and vegetable (F&V) availability and maternal feeding practices (restriction, pressure, modeling, monitoring) with preschoolers’ F&V intake.
Methods
Hispanic mothers (n = 238) of 2-to-5-year-old children from low-income neighborhoods participated in the study. Mothers reported home availability of F&V (whole fruit, fruit juice [FJ], total fruit [FJ and whole fruit combined], and vegetables) in the past month, their feeding practices and their children's F&V consumption (cups) in the past month. Data were collected using one-to-one interviews in English or Spanish. Logistic regression models tested associations of availability of F&V groups and feeding practices with children's intake of ≥ 1 cup per day of total fruit and vegetables as per MyPlate minimum daily recommendation for preschoolers.
Results
Availability of total fruit and maternal modeling increased the odds of child's consumption of ≥ 1 cup of fruit: Odds ratio (OR) = 2.41; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.56-3.70; P < 0.0001, and OR = 1.73; CI, 1.10-2.74; P < 0.020, respectively. Concurrently, maternal pressure and child's being a female increased the odds of child's consumption of ≥ 1 cup of vegetables: OR = 1.44; CI, 1.10-1.90; P < 0.009, and OR = 1.91; CI, 1.07-3.40; P < 0.028, respectively. Having more children in the home reduced the odds of child's intake of ≥ 1 cup of vegetables: OR = 0.78; CI, 0.61-0.99; P < 0.037. There were no significant associations between children's Body Mass Index (BMI) percentile and children's consumption of F&V or maternal feeding practices.
Conclusions
Environmental factors within the home appears to influence Hispanic preschoolers’ intake of F&V differently. To increase children's intake of fruit, family interventions should promote home fruit availability and maternal food modeling practices. However, since maternal pressure to eat has not been associated with F&V intake, the significant association between vegetable intake and pressuring children to eat found in this study must be further examined in similar cultural samples to replicate this finding.
Funding Sources
U54GM104938.
Comparison of Maternal Feeding Practices and Child Weight Status in Children from Three Countries