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Indulgent feeding style and children's weight status in preschool

Sheryl O Hughes1, Richard M Shewchuk, Monica L Baskin

  • 1Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA. shughes@bcm.tmc.edu

Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics : JDBP
|August 21, 2008
PubMed

Insights

In low-income families, the indulgent feeding style is linked to higher child body mass index (BMI). This association persists even after accounting for parent affect and child temperament, highlighting a significant connection between parenting and child weight status.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Family Studies

Background:

  • Parenting styles can influence child development and health outcomes.
  • Previous research suggests potential links between feeding styles and child weight.
  • Understanding these relationships is crucial for early intervention in low-income populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate differences in parent affect and child temperament across various feeding styles in low-income families.
  • To determine if feeding styles predict children's body mass index (BMI) independently of other factors.

Main Methods:

  • 718 parents of Head Start children were categorized into four feeding styles: authoritative, authoritarian, indulgent, and uninvolved.
  • Parent-reported questionnaires assessed feeding styles and parent/child affect and temperament.
  • Child height and weight were measured to calculate BMI.

Main Results:

  • Significant differences in parent affect and child temperament were observed across feeding styles.
  • Indulgent parents reported lower negative affect for themselves and their children.
  • The indulgent feeding style was associated with higher child BMI, even after controlling for covariates.

Conclusions:

  • The indulgent feeding style shows a robust association with increased weight status in low-income preschool children.
  • Parental emotional affect and child temperament congruence may contribute to overconsumption in children with indulgent parents.
  • Findings underscore the importance of parenting styles in addressing childhood obesity in vulnerable populations.
Abstract

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