Maternal depression, stress and feeding styles: towards a framework for theory and research in child obesity

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Public Health
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Rising rates of childhood obesity in the USA necessitate novel intervention strategies.
• Existing obesity interventions show modest effect sizes, indicating a need for comprehensive approaches.
• The UNICEF care model provides a framework for understanding child development and well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To extend the UNICEF care model to specifically address childhood obesity.
• To integrate a systems approach and multidisciplinary literature concerning childhood obesity.
• To emphasize the role of the parent-child emotional relationship in childhood obesity.

Main Methods:

• A narrative review of existing literature was conducted.
• The UNICEF care model was extended using a systems approach.
• Literature from developmental psychology, clinical psychology, and nutrition was synthesized.

Main Results:

• New linkages were integrated into the extended UNICEF model, including parental feeding styles, stress, depression, and maternal eating behaviors.
• These factors were identified as significantly associated with children's eating behaviors and obesity risk.
• The review incorporated studies not included in the original UNICEF model, offering novel insights.

Conclusions:

• The extended UNICEF model provides an enhanced understanding of familial influences on childhood eating behaviors and obesity.
• Integrating emotional climate and parental factors offers a more holistic approach to tackling childhood obesity.
• This framework advances scientific understanding and has implications for developing targeted interventions.