Variability in feeding practices by parent and eating occasion: A cluster analysis approach

Recent research shows that parents of young children use both supportive and unsupportive food parenting practices daily, challenging assumptions that they rely on a single approach. The current study used cluster analysis to: 1) characterize approaches to feeding children that take into consideration a wide range of food parenting practices, and 2) explore patterns in how parents vary their approach across eating occasions. Parents (n = 252) reported food parenting practices used at each eating occasion (n = 6281 total) shared with their preschooler (aged 3-5 years) over multiple days (Mean: 9.23 days, SD: 9.23). Practices were categorized into four higher-order domains: structure, autonomy support, coercive control, and indulgent. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering identified clusters at both the parent and eating occasion-levels. At the parent level, four distinct clusters emerged, primarily differentiated by overall engagement and specific practice use. At the eating occasion-level, four distinct approaches were identified, with engagement level and eating occasion-specific practices driving these differences. Parents exhibited considerable variability in feeding approaches across days and meals. Findings suggest that while most parents use a broad range of practices across all four higher-order domains, they can be categorized into clusters based on type and amount of practices used. Eating occasion-level approaches were also distinct, shaped by engagement level and specific practices. The evidence that parents shift between eating occasion clusters over time supports the idea that food parenting is responsive to context. Future research should examine the longitudinal impact of these fluctuations on child outcomes.