Maternal behavior as a predictor of sibling interactions during mealtimes
Rana H Mosli1, Alison L Miller2, Karen E Peterson3
1Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Clinical Nutrition Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Eating Behaviors
|January 15, 2016
Summary
Maternal presence during mealtimes reduces sibling food encouragement. However, food-related maternal engagement increases it, while non-food-related engagement decreases it, impacting children's eating behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Child development
- Family studies
- Nutritional psychology
Background:
- Parental influence on children's eating behaviors is well-documented.
- Sibling interactions during mealtimes can affect eating habits.
- The specific role of maternal behavior in shaping sibling mealtime dynamics remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal behavior and sibling-to-sibling food encouragement.
- To examine how maternal presence and engagement influence children's encouragement of their siblings to eat.
Main Methods:
- Videotaped home mealtimes of 73 children aged 4-8 years with one sibling present.
- Coded instances of child-to-sibling encouragement to eat.
- Coded maternal presence and both food-related and non-food-related maternal engagement.
Main Results:
- Maternal presence was linked to a significant decrease in sibling food encouragement (RR: 0.40).
- Non-food-related maternal engagement was associated with fewer encouragements (RR: 0.62).
- Food-related maternal engagement was associated with more encouragements (RR: 1.49).
Conclusions:
- Maternal behavior significantly influences sibling mealtime interactions regarding food.
- Mothers can reduce sibling pressure by being present and engaging non-food-relatedly.
- Further research should explore how these interactions mediate links to children's health outcomes.
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