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Feasibility of Including Behavioral Feeding Training Within a Parent Intervention for Young Children With Type 1
Carrie Tully1,2, Corrine Ahrabi-Nejad3, Leann L Birch4
1Children's National Health System, Center for Translational Science, 111 Michigan Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20010, USA. Ctully1@childrensnational.org.
Insights
Challenging eating behaviors in young children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) can hinder management. A parent feeding training session proved feasible and acceptable, with children trying novel foods.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Behavioral Science
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Young children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) often exhibit challenging eating behaviors.
- These behaviors can significantly interfere with effective diabetes management.
- Parental feeding strategies play a crucial role in addressing these issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the feasibility and acceptability of a behavioral parent feeding training session.
- To assess the impact of this training on children's interaction with novel/non-preferred foods.
- To evaluate the application of learned parenting skills by mothers of children with T1D.
Main Methods:
- A pilot study involving 9 young children (mean age 4.22) with T1D and their mothers.
- Parents received brief training on behavioral feeding strategies.
- Parents then implemented these strategies with their child during a recorded feeding session, coded for behavior.
Main Results:
- The feeding training session was highly feasible and rated as acceptable by all parents.
- Parents successfully demonstrated an average of 3.38 behavioral feeding skills.
- 100% of children touched non-preferred foods, and 56% consumed at least one.
Conclusions:
- Behavioral parent feeding training is a feasible and acceptable intervention for young children with T1D.
- Parents can effectively learn and apply new feeding strategies.
- The intervention shows promise in encouraging children with T1D to try novel and non-preferred foods, aiding diabetes management.
Abstract:
Young children with T1D frequently display challenging eating behaviors interfering with diabetes management. The current study explored the feasibility and acceptability of a behavioral parent feeding training session with young children with type 1 diabetes. As part of a larger intervention pilot focused on healthy eating and physical activity, 9 young children (Mage = 4.22) with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and their mothers participated in a novel/non-preferred food training session. Parents were taught strategies and then were given an opportunity to use the strategies with their child. The paradigm was video recorded and content was coded for parent and child behavior. Feasibility was high, and all parents rated the feeding session as acceptable. All parents demonstrated using at least one behavioral feeding skill (M = 3.38, SD = 1.60). All 9 (100%) children touched at least one of their non-preferred foods (M = 2.05, SD = 0.75), and 5 (56%) ate at least one novel/non-preferred food (M = 1.65, SD = 0.87). Parents of young children with T1D demonstrated use of parenting skills after receiving brief instructions, with more children than not trying at least one novel/non-preferred food.
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