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Concept Development and Use of an Automated Food Intake and Eating Behavior Assessment Method
Published on: February 19, 2021
Prospective associations between parental feeding practices and children's oral processing behaviours
Anna Fogel1, Lisa R Fries2, Keri McCrickerd1
1Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), National University Health System, Singapore.
Maternal & Child Nutrition
|July 28, 2018
Summary
Parental feeding practices may influence children's eating behaviors, with some methods linked to faster eating rates. Exploratory findings suggest sex differences in how parents affect children's eating styles and energy intake.
Area of Science:
- Child Nutrition and Development
- Behavioral Pediatrics
- Eating Behaviors
Background:
- Faster eating rates are associated with increased energy intake during meals.
- Understanding the role of parental feeding practices in shaping children's eating behaviors is crucial for promoting healthy dietary habits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the associations between parental feeding practices and children's oral processing behaviors.
- To examine if parental feeding practices modify the link between eating rate and energy intake.
- To explore prospective associations between feeding practices and eating behaviors.
Main Methods:
- A subset of children (n=155) and their mothers from a Singaporean cohort participated in a meal at 4.5 years.
- Children's oral processing behaviors (eating rate, bite size, chews) and parental feeding practices were recorded.
- A follow-up meal without mothers was conducted at 6 years for 94 children.
Main Results:
- Parental feeding practices were not consistently associated with overall child oral processing behaviors, but sex differences emerged.
- Mothers of girls with faster eating rates used more hurrying, slowing, and restrictions.
- Faster eating rates were linked to higher energy intake when children were prompted to eat.
Conclusions:
- Exploratory analyses suggest sex differences in parental influences on children's oral processing behaviors.
- Parental feeding practices may play a role in the development of children's eating styles.
- Coercive prompts and less hurrying in early childhood may predict faster eating rates later in childhood.
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