Factors associated with infant feeding styles in the Federal District, Brazil

Responsive feeding is currently the recommended feeding style, in which the key principle is reciprocity between the child and the caregiver. The lack of reciprocity characterizes non-responsive feeding styles, which are associated with unhealthy eating behaviors, losses in the regulation of hunger and satiety, and childhood obesity. To assess factors associated with feeding styles between infants aged 6-12 months old, a cross-sectional study with 474 pairs of mothers and infants from 6 to 12 months old was conducted in Public Health Units in the Federal District, Brazil. The questionnaire applied to mothers evaluated four feeding styles from nine subconstructs (Infant Feeding Style Questionnaire), breastfeeding, bottle use, maternal depression and anxiety, household food insecurity (HFI), and prematurity. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed using the automated backward method. Bottle use was positively associated with feeding styles Laissez-faire (Attention) (β:0.56), Pressuring (Cereal) (β:0.58) and Restrictive (Quantity) (β:0.26). Breastfeeding was negatively associated with Laissez-faire (Attention) (β:-0.29) and Pressuring (Cereal) (β:-0.50). Higher maternal education was negatively associated with Pressuring (Cereal) (β:-0.34) and Pressuring (Soothing) (β:-0.36). HFI is positively associated with Restrictive (Quantity) (β:0.25), and Prematurity is negatively associated with Laissez-faire (Attention) (β:-0.33). An important positive association was found between non-responsive styles and both bottle use and HFI, while breastfeeding and higher maternal education exhibited a negative association. Therefore, feeding styles and their associated factors should be considered in the design of interventions that promote a healthy diet for infants.