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A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect
Published on: September 22, 2023
Observed assertive and intrusive maternal feeding behaviors increase child adiposity
Julie C Lumeng1, Tina N Ozbeki, Danielle P Appugliese
1Center for Human Growth & Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5406, USA. jlumeng@umich.edu
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|January 27, 2012
Summary
Maternal assertive prompting and intrusive feeding styles are linked to increased child adiposity. Understanding these behaviors can inform interventions to promote healthy child weight development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Child Development
- Maternal Health
Background:
- Limited research exists on observed maternal feeding behaviors and child adiposity.
- Previous findings on maternal prompting to eat and child adiposity are inconsistent.
Purpose of the Study:
- Identify factors associated with maternal feeding behaviors.
- Test if increased maternal prompts, assertiveness, and intrusiveness correlate with greater child adiposity.
Main Methods:
- 1218 mother-child dyads were videotaped during snack times at 15, 24, and 36 months.
- Maternal prompts, prompt assertiveness, and intrusiveness were coded.
- Regression analyses examined predictors and associations with child adiposity (weight-for-length z, BMI z) controlling for covariates.
Main Results:
- At 36 months, mothers averaged 9.3 prompts, with 61% assertive and 48% intrusive.
- Lower maternal education and minority race-ethnicity predicted more assertive and intrusive prompts.
- Higher child adiposity was associated with a greater percentage of assertive prompts and intrusiveness, not total prompts.
Conclusions:
- Assertive prompting and intrusive feeding styles showed small but significant associations with increased child adiposity.
- Further research should explore maternal motivations and the mechanisms linking these feeding styles to child adiposity.
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