Parent-Child Interaction Therapy Supports Healthy Eating Behavior in Child Welfare-Involved Children

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Behavioral Therapy
• Public Health

Background:

• Problematic eating behaviors are prevalent in children involved with the child welfare system.
• Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is a behavioral parent-training program.
• The efficacy of PCIT for eating behaviors in this population was previously untested.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the efficacy of standard PCIT for modifying problematic eating behaviors in children in the child welfare system.
• To evaluate PCIT's effectiveness in a larger trial.
• To determine if PCIT impacts eating behaviors when not directly targeted.

Main Methods:

• A randomized clinical trial was conducted with children aged 3-7 years and their parents.
• Participants were assigned to either PCIT intervention (n=120) or services-as-usual (SAU; n=84).
• Child eating behaviors were assessed pre- and post-intervention using the Child Eating Behaviors Questionnaire (CEBQ).

Main Results:

• PCIT significantly reduced food responsiveness, speed of food consumption, and emotional overeating compared to the SAU group.
• Intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses supported these findings.
• Positive outcomes were observed even when eating behaviors were not the primary intervention target.

Conclusions:

• Standard PCIT is an effective intervention for promoting healthy child eating behaviors in families involved with child welfare.
• PCIT demonstrates significant reductions in maladaptive eating behaviors such as food responsiveness, emotional overeating, and rapid eating.
• These findings highlight the public health significance of PCIT for improving child well-being in vulnerable populations.