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Children's weight status and maternal and paternal feeding practices

Li Zhang1, William A McIntosh

  • 1L Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23284-2028, USA. Lzhang5@vcu.edu

Journal of Child Health Care : for Professionals Working with Children in the Hospital and Community
|December 27, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Parental feeding practices significantly impact child weight status. Both mothers and fathers play an equally important role in shaping children's weight outcomes, according to this study.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Childhood Obesity Research
  • Family Health Studies

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern.
  • Parental feeding practices are recognized as a key factor influencing children's weight.
  • Understanding the distinct or similar influences of maternal and paternal feeding is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between parental feeding practices and children's weight status.
  • To determine if maternal and paternal feeding practices yield significantly different child weight outcomes.
  • To provide insights into the roles of both parents in pediatric weight management.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of data from 312 children (aged 9-11 and 13-15) and their parents.
  • Random sampling from the Houston Metropolitan Statistical Area.
  • Statistical examination of the relationship between feeding practices and weight status.

Main Results:

  • Parental feeding practices are demonstrably linked to children's weight status.
  • No significant difference was found in the effects of maternal versus paternal feeding practices on child weight.
  • Both maternal and paternal feeding behaviors exert equivalent influence on children's weight outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Parental feeding practices are a critical determinant of child weight.
  • Maternal and paternal feeding practices play a comparable role in childhood obesity.
  • Interventions should consider the equivalent impact of both parents on children's weight.

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