Childhood feeding difficulties: a randomized controlled trial of a group-based parenting intervention
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Published on: August 21, 2015
Michelle Adamson1, Alina Morawska, Matthew R Sanders
1Department of Psychology, University of Southern Queensland, Hervey Bay, Australia. michelle.adamson@usq.edu.au
Insights
A group behavioral parenting program significantly improved mealtime behavior in children and parental practices. This intervention offers a valuable, effective approach for childhood feeding difficulties.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Behavioral Interventions
- Family Therapy
Background:
- Feeding difficulties are prevalent in early childhood.
- Behavioral techniques are effective for feeding issues.
- Large-scale group studies on behavioral parenting interventions for feeding are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a group-based behavioral family intervention for children with problem eating.
- To assess the efficacy of the Hassle Free Mealtimes Triple P program.
- To utilize a randomized controlled trial design.
Main Methods:
- Ninety-six families with children aged 1.5-6 years participated.
- A randomized 2-group design was employed.
- The intervention group received the Hassle Free Mealtimes Triple P program; a waitlist control was used.
Main Results:
- Significant improvements were observed in child mealtime and general behavior.
- Parental mealtime practices, confidence, and cognitions improved.
- High parent satisfaction and sustained positive outcomes at 6-month follow-up were reported.
Conclusions:
- The study provides evidence for the efficacy of group-based behavioral family interventions for childhood mealtime difficulties.
- The intervention demonstrated positive effects on child behavior and parental practices.
- Clinical implications and future research directions for feeding interventions are discussed.
Background:
Difficulty with feeding is common during early childhood. Behavioral techniques have shown considerable utility for difficult feeding, although large-scale studies of behavioral parenting interventions with typically developing young children, and in group formats, are limited.
Objective:
The current study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a group-based, behavioral family intervention for typically developing healthy children with problem eating via a fully randomized 2-group design.
Methods:
: Ninety-six families of children aged 1.5 to 6 years with feeding difficulties participated in a trial of Hassle Free Mealtimes Triple P (A. Morawska and M.R. Sanders, unpublished data, 2008) in regional and metropolitan Queensland (Australia).
Results:
Results support the utility of a group-based behavioral parenting program for childhood feeding issues, with significant improvements to the mealtime and general behavior of target children, the mealtime and general practices of parents, parental confidence and cognitions, compared with a waitlist control. Six-month follow-up data and clinical and reliable change indices support the intervention's utility. Parents were also highly satisfied with the program.
Conclusion:
The current study provides evidence of the efficacy of a group-based behavioral family intervention for mealtime difficulties, including observational and more extended outcome measures. Future directions and clinical implications of this research are discussed.
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