Parent-Reported Feeding Practices Associated With Children's Observed Willingness-to-Try-New-Foods in Childcare

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nutrition
• Child Development
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Parent-child feeding interactions significantly shape children's lifelong appetite, growth, and health.
• Understanding these dynamics is crucial for promoting healthy eating patterns from an early age.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between parent-reported feeding practices and children's observed willingness to try new foods.
• To assess if this relationship is independent of parental presence and context, using childcare settings.
• To examine associations with children's body mass index z-score (BMIz).

Main Methods:

• Study involved 436 parent-child dyads from 51 childcare centers.
• Data collected via Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ), a food tasting activity, and anthropometric measurements.
• Logistic and linear regression models analyzed associations, adjusting for confounders and childcare clustering.

Main Results:

• Children's willingness to try new foods positively correlated with parental restriction for weight control.
• This association suggests context and parental influence independence.
• Child BMIz was linked to parental restriction (positive) and control/pressure (negative).

Conclusions:

• Parental feeding practices, particularly weight-related restriction, may influence children's food acceptance independently.
• Further research is needed to understand child- and parent-driven interpretations of feeding practices.
• Effective strategies for promoting responsive parenting in feeding are essential.