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Toddlers' impulsivity, inhibitory control, and maternal eating-related supervision in relation to toddler body mass
Gabriela Lelakowska1, Meghan J Kanya2, Brittany R Balassone2
1Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, USA; Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, USA.
Insights
Maternal supervision of eating helps curb toddler BMI in impulsive children. This study highlights how parenting practices interact with child temperament to influence weight.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Obesity Research
Background:
- Child temperament and parental feeding practices are known contributors to child body mass index (BMI).
- Previous research has largely examined these factors independently, with limited investigation into their joint effects or interactions on child BMI.
- Identifying early risk factors for childhood overweight and obesity is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the combined influence of child temperament (impulsivity, inhibitory control) and maternal feeding practices (supervision, emotional overeating) on toddler BMI.
- To examine potential interactions between child temperament characteristics and maternal feeding practices in relation to toddler BMI.
- To understand how these factors contribute to identifying children at risk for being overweight or obese.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study involving 179 mother-child dyads.
- Assessment of child impulsivity and inhibitory control at 24 months.
- Evaluation of emotional overeating, maternal supervision of eating, and maternal/toddler BMI at 30 months.
Main Results:
- Higher toddler impulsivity, emotional overeating, and maternal BMI were positively associated with toddler BMI.
- Childhood inhibitory control and maternal supervision of eating did not show direct associations with toddler BMI.
- A significant interaction revealed that maternal supervision of eating was negatively associated with toddler BMI in highly impulsive children, but showed a trend towards a positive association in less impulsive children.
Conclusions:
- Increased maternal supervision of children's eating may be a protective factor for maintaining a healthy BMI in toddlers with high impulsivity.
- The interplay between child temperament and parental feeding strategies is critical in understanding and managing childhood weight.
- These findings underscore the importance of tailored parenting approaches based on a child's individual temperament characteristics.
Abstract:
Previous studies have noted that child temperament characteristics, such as aspects of self-regulation, as well as parental feeding practices contribute to children's body mass index (BMI), and have implications for identifying children who may be at risk of being overweight or obese. While studies have considered children's temperament or maternal feeding practices separately, few have considered these correlates of children's BMI jointly or in interaction in relation to children's BMI. The current study included 179 mother-child dyads participating in a longitudinal study. Information on children's impulsivity and inhibitory control was collected when children were 24 months of age. Children's tendency to emotionally overeat, maternal supervision of children's eating, and toddler and maternal BMI were assessed when children reached 30 months of age. Higher toddler impulsivity and emotional overeating, as well as maternal BMI were positively associated with toddler BMI. Inhibitory control and maternal supervision of toddler eating were not directly associated with toddler BMI. However, the main effect of toddler impulsivity was qualified by a significant interaction with maternal supervision of toddler eating. For children high in impulsivity, there was a significant negative association between maternal eating supervision and toddler BMI. For children low in impulsivity, there was a trend level (p = .059) positive relation between maternal eating supervision and toddler BMI. These findings suggest that increased maternal supervision of children's eating may be beneficial for helping children maintain a healthy BMI when they exhibit high impulsivity.