Nutrient Intakes of Children: Associations with Maternal Use of Pressure to Eat and a Healthy Home Food Environment

Maternal feeding practices have been shown to have a powerful influence on shaping dietary behaviors of children. Nonetheless, the association with the nutrient intake of children has not been previously explored. This study aimed to investigate the associations of maternal use of pressure to eat (PE) and a healthy home food environment (HHFE) with nutrient intakes in children (6–12 years old). Data of 424 mother–child dyads were included. Maternal use of PE and a HHFE were assessed using a validated questionnaire. Child food intake was collected using telephone-administered 24 h recalls. Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate the associations of maternal feeding practices with energy and nutrient intakes of children. Maternal use of PE predicted higher children’s intake of carbohydrate (B = 0.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.19 to 1.62) and dietary fiber (B = 1.25, 95% CI 0.32 to 2.18) and lower fat intake (B = −0.74, 95% CI −1.37 to −0.11). Maternal use of a HHFE was significantly positively associated with protein intake (B = 0.99, 95% CI 0.53 to 1.46) and negatively associated with free sugar intake in children (B = −3.56, 95% CI −5.03 to −2.09). Our findings indicate that nutrient intakes of children are linked to feeding practices employed by mothers. Further studies are warranted to gain a more contextualized understanding of mother–child feeding interactions and to develop effective interventions.

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Longitudinal Associations Between Child Weight Change, the Home Food Environment, and Child Feeding Practices During COVID-19

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzab029_002 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 201-201

Author(s):

Elizabeth Adams ◽

Laura Caccavale ◽

Danyel Smith ◽

Melanie Bean

Keyword(s):

Weight Gain ◽

Weight Change ◽

Food Environment ◽

Feeding Practices ◽

Home Food Environment ◽

Child Feeding ◽

Child Weight ◽

Child Overweight ◽

Child Feeding Practices ◽

Home Food

Abstract Objectives Lifestyle changes during the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may result in child weight gain thus increasing obesity risk. Weight gain during COVID-19 may be, in part, be due to changes in the home food environment and child feeding practices; yet longitudinal studies have not examined these relations. This study describes patterns of child weight change, the home food environment, and child feeding practices across two timepoints during COVID-19. Methods Parents (N = 433; 95% female) in the US with a child aged 5–18 years completed two online surveys in May (T1) and September (T2) 2020. Parents reported on child feeding practices (e.g., concern for child overweight, restriction, pressure, monitoring) using the Child Feeding Questionnaire, perceived child weight status, and the home food environment before COVID-19 (i.e., baseline; retrospective report) and at twice during COVID-19 (T1 and T2). Child weight change was categorized as having gained weight vs. not. Repeated measures and chi square analyses examined differences in changes in child feeding practices and the home food environment by child weight change. Results About 30% of parents reported child weight gain from T1 to T2 (average +9.6 ± 7.1 lbs). Interactions between parents’ concern for child overweight, monitoring, and restriction, by child weight change, were observed (ps ≤ 0.02): families with child weight gain reported baseline to T1 increases in these feeding practices, that were sustained at T2; for families without child weight gain, concern, monitoring, and restriction increased at T1, but returned to baseline at T2. Overall, pressure feeding practices increased from baseline to T1, and returned to baseline at T2. No clear patterns regarding home food environment changes and child weight change were observed. Conclusions Almost one-third of parents reported child weight gain during COVID-19, which was related to sustained concern for overweight and some feeding practices, yet not home food environment changes. Further research is needed to investigate different behavioral, societal, environmental, and psychosocial factors contributing to child weight gain during COVID-19, in order to identify the most salient intervention targets to mitigate the potential long-term health consequences. Funding Sources Virginia Commonwealth University, National Cancer Institute

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Food Insecurity, the Home Food Environment, and Parent Feeding Practices in the Era of COVID‐19

Obesity ◽

10.1002/oby.22996 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 28 (11) ◽

pp. 2056-2063 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Elizabeth L. Adams ◽

Laura J. Caccavale ◽

Danyel Smith ◽

Melanie K. Bean

Keyword(s):

Food Insecurity ◽

Food Environment ◽

Feeding Practices ◽

Home Food Environment ◽

Home Food ◽

Parent Feeding Practices ◽

Parent Feeding

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Longitudinal patterns of food insecurity, the home food environment, and parent feeding practices during COVID‐19

Obesity Science & Practice ◽

10.1002/osp4.499 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Elizabeth L. Adams ◽

Laura J. Caccavale ◽

Danyel Smith ◽

Melanie K. Bean

Keyword(s):

Food Insecurity ◽

Food Environment ◽

Feeding Practices ◽

Home Food Environment ◽

Longitudinal Patterns ◽

Home Food ◽

Parent Feeding Practices ◽

Parent Feeding

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Impact of the home food environment on disease risk factors in obese adults from rural communities

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e546872013-116 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Stacey Maurer ◽

Kristen Medina ◽

Danielle Lespinasse ◽

Samantha Minski ◽

Manal Alabduljabbar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Rural Communities ◽

Food Environment ◽

Disease Risk ◽

Obese Adults ◽

Home Food Environment ◽

Home Food

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Home food environment and associations with weight and diet among U.S. adults: a cross-sectional study

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-11102-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Michelle C. Kegler ◽

April Hermstad ◽

Regine Haardörfer

Keyword(s):

Food Environment ◽

Fruits And Vegetables ◽

Vegetable Intake ◽

National Sample ◽

Family Meals ◽

Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽

Fruit And Vegetable ◽

Home Food Environment ◽

Meal Preparation ◽

Home Food

Abstract Background The home provides the physical and social context for the majority of eating behaviors for U.S. adults. This study describes eleven dimensions of the home food environment among a national sample of U.S. adults and identifies which are associated with diet quality and overweight/obesity. Methods A national sample of U.S. adults ages 18 to 75 was recruited from an online survey panel. Respondents (n = 4942) reported on foods available in the home, including 1) fruit and vegetables, 2) salty snacks/sweets, 3) less healthy beverages, as well as 4) food placement, 5) shopping practices for fruits and vegetables, 6) food preparation, 7) portion control methods, 8) family meals from restaurants, 9) family household practices around TV and eating, 10) presence of a TV in the dining area, and 11) ownership of a scale. Self-reported height and weight, fruit and vegetable intake, and percent calories from fat were also assessed. Results Mean household size was 2.6, 32.7% had children in the home, and 23.1% lived alone. The majority were White (67.7%), with 12.3% Black and 14.3% Hispanic. Mean age was 44.4 and 48.3% were men. In multivariable models, seven features of the home food environment were associated with meeting the recommended fruit and vegetable intake guidelines, with food placement, meal preparation, frequency of shopping for fruit, and a greater variety of fruits and vegetables available in the home most strongly associated. Eight of 11 features were associated with percent energy from fat, including restaurant food for family meals, salty snacks and sweets availability, less healthy beverages availability, food placement, meal preparation, frequency of shopping for fruit, family eating with the TV on, and having a TV in the dining area. More diverse fruit and vegetable availability was associated with lower odds of overweight/obesity, and more frequent family eating while watching TV was associated with increased odds of overweight/obesity. Conclusion Targeting these dimensions of the home food environment may be a promising approach for future intervention research.

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Evaluation of environmental and nutritional changes in a home food environment intervention for weight loss

10.17918/e64z-n915 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Amani D. Piers

Keyword(s):

Weight Loss ◽

Food Environment ◽

Home Food Environment ◽

Home Food ◽

Nutritional Changes

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Fill “half your child's plate with fruits and vegetables”: Correlations with food-related practices and the home food environment

Appetite ◽

10.1016/j.appet.2018.10.017 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 133 ◽

pp. 77-82 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Chrisa Arcan ◽

Sarah Friend ◽

Colleen Freeh Flattum ◽

Mary Story ◽

Jayne A. Fulkerson

Keyword(s):

Food Environment ◽

Fruits And Vegetables ◽

Home Food Environment ◽

Home Food

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Losses, Gains, and Changes to the Food Environment in a Rural Kentucky County during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13113929 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 3929

Author(s):

Makenzie L. Barr ◽

Courtney Martin ◽

Courtney Luecking ◽

Kathryn Cardarelli

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Focus Groups ◽

Food Environment ◽

Home Food Environment ◽

Public Health Emergencies ◽

Fresh Food ◽

Food And Nutrition ◽

Home Food ◽

Community Food Environment ◽

Made In

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused alterations to be made in the way many people access, prepare, and consume food. Rural communities are particularly impacted due to pre-existing structural vulnerabilities, i.e., poverty, lack of infrastructure, and limited fresh food options. This study aimed to characterize experiences of one rural Appalachian community’s changes to the food environment during the pandemic. In April 2021, six focus groups were conducted with residents of Laurel County, Kentucky. Using grounded theory, we identified losses, gains, and overall changes to the community food environment since the onset of COVID-19. Seventeen Laurel Countians (17 female; ages 30–74) participated in the six focus groups. Three main themes emerged regarding food environment changes—(1) modifications of community food and nutrition resources, (2) expansion and utilization of online food ordering, and (3) implications of the home food environment. Rural communities faced considerable challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, in part, due to gaps in existing infrastructure and loss of pre-existing resources. This study illustrates the complexity of changes occurring during COVID-19. Using the preliminary data obtained, we can better understand pre-existing issues in Laurel County and suggestions for future programming to address the inequitable access and response during public health emergencies and beyond.

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Abstract P244: Participation in a Community-based, Family-focused Lifestyle Intervention Improves the Home Food Environment: Athletes for Life Preliminary Findings

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.133.suppl_1.p244 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 133 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Sonia Vega-López ◽

Emily Ghan ◽

Michael Todd ◽

Meg Bruening ◽

Noe C Crespo

Keyword(s):

Dietary Intake ◽

Food Environment ◽

Cardiometabolic Disease ◽

Control Group ◽

Home Food Environment ◽

Community Based ◽

Sweetened Beverages ◽

Home Food ◽

Home Food Availability ◽

Home Availability

It is known that availability of food in the home influences dietary behaviors; however, few studies have assessed the effects of lifestyle behavioral interventions on the home food environment (HFE). We hypothesized that participation in Athletes for Life (AFL), a family-oriented lifestyle intervention for cardiometabolic disease prevention, would result in favorable changes in the home food environment of families with children aged 6-11 years. AFL is a 12-week community-based, family-focused behavioral intervention delivered at a community center located in an ethnically-diverse, underserved community within a Southwestern metropolitan area. Participants attend 90-minute sessions, twice per week. For children, AFL includes diverse activities aimed at improving fitness and sport skills. Parents participate in a physical activity session for 45 minutes followed by a 45-minute behavior change program focusing on strategies for diet improvement through increasing fruit and vegetable consumption and reducing sugar intake. Parent-child dyads (n=33) were randomized to an immediate AFL intervention or a wait-list control group. Of those, 26 consented to a home visit to assess the HFE and were included in this analysis (intervention n=13; control n=13). The HFE was assessed in both groups at baseline and again after 12 weeks using a modified version of the Home Food Inventory that focused on home availability and variety (measured as number of different items) of fruits, vegetables, and sugar-containing foods including sugar-sweetened beverages, prepared desserts, candy, and breakfast cereals. Intervention effects on home food availability were assessed using Poisson mixed model regressions controlling for days since the last food-shopping trip and household size. At baseline, intervention and control households had comparable home food environments. Relative to the control group, the intervention households had statistically greater increases in the number of vegetable items (+3.88±0.85 items vs. +0.08±0.63 items; p Time*Group =0.015) and WIC-approved breakfast cereal items (1.16±0.31 items vs. 0.00±0.28 items; p Time*Group =0.033). Changes related to home availability of fruit, prepared desserts, sugar sweetened beverages, candy, and non WIC-approved breakfast cereals were small and of comparable magnitude between groups (n.s.). These results suggest that AFL was successful in eliciting small but significant changes in the HFE, which could positively influence dietary intake among participants. Future assessments of how home food availability affects dietary intake and cardiometabolic disease risk are warranted.

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