Parents' dietary patterns are significantly correlated: findings from the Melbourne Infant Feeding Activity and Nutrition Trial Program

The objectives of the present study were to identify dietary patterns independently in first-time mothers and fathers, and to examine whether these patterns were correlated within families. Dietary intakes were collected at baseline in the Melbourne Infant Feeding Activity and Nutrition Trial Program using a validated FFQ in 454 pairs of first-time mothers and fathers. Education level was reported in associated questionnaires. Principal components analyses included frequencies of fifty-five food groups and were performed independently in mothers and fathers. Spearman's correlation coefficients were used to assess associations between dietary pattern scores. A total of four dietary patterns were identified in mothers and fathers. Of these, three dietary patterns had similar characteristics between these two populations, namely ‘Fruits and vegetables’, ‘High-energy snack and processed foods’, ‘High-fat foods’ in mothers; and ‘Fruits’, ‘High-energy snack and processed foods’, ‘High-fat foods’ in fathers. The following two additional patterns were identified: ‘Cereals and sweet foods’ in mothers and ‘Potatoes and vegetables’ in fathers. Patterns incorporating healthier food items were found to be positively associated with parent education. An inverse association with education was found for the ‘High-fat foods’ and ‘High-energy snack and processed foods’ dietary patterns. Qualitatively similar patterns between corresponding mothers and fathers were the most strongly correlated (ρ = 0·34–0·45, P < 0·001). There were some differences in dietary patterns between mothers and fathers, suggesting that it is worth deriving patterns separately when considering couples, and more generally between men and women. Exploring how these various patterns correlate within households provides important insights to guide the development and implementation of family-based interventions.