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Published on: September 22, 2023
Does child weight influence how mothers report their feeding practices?
Claire Farrow1, Jacqueline Blissett, Emma Haycraft
1School of Sport, Exercise & Health Sciences, Loughborough University , Loughborough, Leicestershire , UK. c.v.farrow@lboro.ac.uk
Summary
Maternal reports of controlling feeding practices poorly align with observed behaviors. Accuracy in reporting depends on the child's weight, with mothers of underweight children being more accurate than those of overweight children.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Nutritional Science
- Parenting Studies
Background:
- Parental feeding practices significantly influence child eating behaviors and weight status.
- Accurate self-reporting of these practices is crucial for research and interventions.
- Discrepancies between reported and observed behaviors may impact understanding of parent-child feeding dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the agreement between maternal self-reports and observed feeding practices.
- To determine if a child's weight status moderates the accuracy of maternal reports on feeding behaviors.
Main Methods:
- 56 mother-child dyads participated in a laboratory meal.
- Maternal feeding control behaviors were videotaped and coded.
- Mothers completed questionnaires on feeding practices; children's BMI z-scores were calculated.
Main Results:
- Maternal reports of controlling feeding practices showed poor correlation with observed behaviors.
- Significant interactions were found between child BMI z-score and observed behaviors (pressure to eat, restriction) in predicting maternal reports.
- Mothers of underweight children accurately reported pressure to eat; mothers of overweight children showed negative correlation between observed and reported food restriction.
Conclusions:
- There is a low correspondence between maternal self-reports and observed controlling feeding practices.
- The reliability of maternal reports is influenced by the child's weight status.
- Further research is needed to understand the reasons for reporting inaccuracies, such as unawareness or social desirability bias.
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