The Relationship Between Parental Feeding Practices and Current Food Neophobia in College Students

Objective Perceived parental influence on diet in early adolescence in the context of the parental relationship had previously not been studied in a clinical sample. The aim of this study was to investigate a possible association between eating disorders and characteristics of the relationship with parents and the parental feeding practices in early adolescence. Methods 21 female adolescents and young adults with an eating disorder (ED)–bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa–and 22 females without eating disorder (healthy control; HC), aged between 16 and 26, were assessed via self-report questionnaires for problematic eating behaviour, relationship with parents, perceptions of parent’s feeding practices at the age of 10–13 years and personality. Statistical evaluation was performed by means of group comparisons, effect sizes, regression analyses and mediator analyses. Results Adolescent and young adult females with ED reported more fears/overprotection and rejection/neglect by their mothers and less self-responsibility in terms of eating behaviour during adolescence than did the HC. The relationship with the fathers did not differ significantly. Females who perceived more cohesion, rejection/neglect and fears/overprotection by the mother were more likely to suffer from an ED. Rejection/neglect by both parents were associated with less self-acceptance of the young females with even stronger effect sizes for the fathers than the mothers. Harm prevention in the young females was a partial mediator between fears/overprotection and the drive for thinness. Conclusions The parental relationship is partly reflected in the self-acceptance and self-responsibility in eating of the adolescent and young females, both of them are particularly affected in EDs. Stressors in the parent-child relationship should be targeted in treatment of eating disorders. Nutritional counselling for parents might be useful in early adolescence.

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Parental feeding practices and child's level of food fussiness and neophobia – Preliminary analysis from NCFSII

Proceedings of The Nutrition Society ◽

10.1017/s0029665120003948 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 79 (OCE2) ◽

Author(s):

Stephanie Rahill ◽

Aileen Kennedy ◽

Laura Kehoe ◽

Janette Walton ◽

Albert Flynn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Eating Behaviour ◽

Feeding Practices ◽

Structure Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Food Neophobia ◽

Novel Foods ◽

Parental Feeding Practices ◽

Parental Feeding ◽

Parental Reports ◽

Food Fussiness

AbstractResearch suggests that food fussiness (FF) and food neophobia (FN) are two separate constructs. Food fussiness is the tendency to be selective about a large proportion of familiar and unfamiliar foods, while food neophobia is the refusal of novel foods. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the association between parental feeding practices and child's FF or FN.Analysis was based on cross-sectional data from the nationally representative Irish National Children's Food Survey II (NCFSII; 2017–2018). The NCFSII collected detailed eating behaviour data from children aged 5–12 (n = 596) using the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ). This questionnaire contained four items from the food fussiness subscale that represented FN and two items that represented FF. The Feeding Practices & Structure Questionnaire (FPSQ) assessed non-responsive and structure-related parental feeding practices. Spearman's correlation established the association between parental feeding practices and child's FF and FN. Moderation analyses was conducted to explore the extent to which child's age moderates the association.Higher levels of child's FN was weakly to moderately associated with higher parental reports of reward for eating (RE) (r = .210, p < 0.001), persuasive feeding (PF) (r = .340, p < 0.001), overt restriction (OR) (r = .195, p < 0.001) and lower reports of structured meal settings (SMS) (r = -.085, p = 0.039) and family meals (FMS) (r = -.387, p < 0.001). Higher levels of child's FF had a slightly stronger association with the same parental feeding as FN, with additional associations with structured meal timings (SMT) (r = -.089, p = 0.031) and covert restriction (CR) (r = -.083, p = 0.045). Age moderated the association between both child's FF [b = .22, p < 0.001] and FN [b = .17, p = 0.002] and parental reports of PF, along with moderating the association between child's FF [b = .11, p = 0.04] and parental reports of SMT.Overall, child's FN and FF were both associated with higher levels of non-responsive feeding practices and lower reports of structure-related feeding practices, with child's FF associated with more parental feeding practices than FN. These findings suggest that it is important to address FN and FF as separate constructs, with more structure-related feeding practices inversely associated with higher levels of FF only. In addition, as children get older findings suggest that less parental feeding practices are utilised, however, higher levels of child's FF/FN are associated with similar levels of PF and SMT (FF only) regardless of age.

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Parental feeding practices, food neophobia, and child food preferences: What combination of factors results in children eating a variety of foods?

Food Quality and Preference ◽

10.1016/j.foodqual.2016.01.006 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 50 ◽

pp. 57-64 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Jill L. Kaar ◽

Allison L.B. Shapiro ◽

Donna M. Fell ◽

Susan L. Johnson

Keyword(s):

Food Preferences ◽

Feeding Practices ◽

Food Neophobia ◽

Parental Feeding Practices ◽

Parental Feeding

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Child weight and parental feeding practices: a child-responsive model

Nutrition & Food Science ◽

10.1108/nfs-08-2014-0074 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 45 (1) ◽

pp. 174-188 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Elisabeth Lind Melbye ◽

Håvard Hansen

Keyword(s):

Weight Status ◽

Feeding Practices ◽

Mediating Effect ◽

Mediating Effects ◽

Parental Concern ◽

Content Type ◽

Parental Feeding Practices ◽

Child Weight ◽

Parental Feeding ◽

Wide Range

Purpose – The majority of previous studies on parental feeding practices have focused on the effect of controlling feeding strategies on child eating and weight (i.e. parental influence on children). The present study turns the arrow in the opposite direction, and it aims to test a child-responsive model by exploring the process in which child weight status might influence parental feeding practices, addressing potential mediating effects of parental concern for child weight (i.e. child influence on parents). Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional survey was performed among parents of 10- to 12-year olds (n = 963). The survey questionnaire included measures of parental feeding practices and parents’ reports of child weight and height. Stepwise regressions were performed to reveal potential mediating effects of parental concern for child weight status on the associations between child BMI and a wide range of parental feeding practices. Findings – Our results suggest a mediating effect of parental concern for child overweight on the associations between child body mass index and controlling feeding practices such as restriction for weight and health purposes and responsibility for determining child portion sizes. Originality/value – This study provides an extension of previous research on parental feeding–child weight relationship. It includes a wider spectrum of feeding variables, and integrates parental concern for both child who is overweight and child who is underweight as potential mediators of the associations between child weight and parental feeding practices. Moreover, it has its focus on preadolescent children, while previous studies have focused on infants and young children.

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Emotion Regulation Difficulties Strengthen Relationships Between Perceived Parental Feeding Practices and Emotional Eating: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Study

International Journal of Behavioral Medicine ◽

10.1007/s12529-021-09959-z ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Wesley R. Barnhart ◽

Abby L. Braden ◽

Lauren A. Dial

Keyword(s):

Emotion Regulation ◽

Emotional Eating ◽

Feeding Practices ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Parental Feeding Practices ◽

Parental Feeding

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Parental Phone use during Mealtime with Toddlers and the Associations with Feeding Practices and Shared Family Meals: A Cross-sectional Study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-105794/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Frøydis Nordgård Vik ◽

Erik Grasaas ◽

Maaike E. M. Polspoel ◽

Margrethe Røed ◽

Elisabet R. Hillesund ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mobile Phone ◽

Emotional Regulation ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Eating Habits ◽

Feeding Practices ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Family Meals ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Parental Feeding Practices ◽

Parental Feeding

Abstract BackgroundPositive parental feeding practices and a higher frequency of family meals are related to healthier child dietary habits. Parents play an essential role when it comes to the development of their child’s eating habits. However, parents are increasingly distracted by their mobile phone during mealtime. The aim of this study was to describe the feeding practices and daily shared family meals among parents who use and do not use mobile phone during mealtime, and further to explore the associations between the use of mobile phone during mealtime and feeding practices and daily shared family meals, respectively.Methods Cross-sectional data from the Food4toddler study were used to explore the association between mobile use during meals and parental feeding practices including family meals. In 2017/2018 parents of toddlers were recruited through social media to participate in the study. In total 298 out of 404 who volunteered to participate, filled in a baseline questionnaire, including questions from the comprehensive feeding practices questionnaire (CFPQ), questions of frequency of family meals and use of mobile phone during meals. ResultsHerein, 4 out of 10 parents reported various levels of phone use (meal distraction) during mealtimes. Parental phone use was associated with lower use of positive parental feeding practices like modelling (B= -1.05 (95% CI -1.69; -0.41)) and family food environment (B= -0.77 (95% CI -1.51; -0.03)), and more use of negative parental feeding practices like emotional regulation (B= 0.73 (95% CI 0.32; 1.14)) and the use of pressure to eat (B= 1.22 (95% CI 0.41; 2.03)). Furthermore, parental phone use was associated with a lower frequency of daily family breakfast (OR= 0.50 (95% CI 0.31; 0.82)) and dinner (OR= 0.57 (95% CI 0.35; 0.93)). ConclusionsMobile phone use is common among parents during mealtimes, and findings indicate that parental phone use is associated with less healthy feeding practices and shared family meals. These findings highlight the importance of making parents aware of potential impacts of meal distractions. Trial registration: ISRCTN92980420. Registered 13 September 2017. Retrospectively registered.

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