Timing of Food Insecurity and Associations with Parent Feeding Behaviors and Toddler Weight Status

A gap in the literature is the associations between longitudinal changes in food insecurity (FI) with parental feeding behaviors (PFB) and child weight status.

Secondary analysis of data from the Greenlight trial. Exposure was FI at 2 and 24 months, categorized as: no FI, food insecure to food secure (resolved FI), food secure to food insecure (new FI), or persistent FI. Outcomes included PFB, measured by the Child Feeding Questionnaire, and child weight outcomes. Adjusted linear models were used to estimate predicted means; pairwise comparisons were conducted with the no FI group as the referent group.

Analysis included 496 parent-child dyads: 45% no FI, 11% new FI, 19% resolved FI, and 25% persistent FI. New and resolved FI had lower mean monitoring scores (p < 0.001 and p = 0.02, respectively). New FI and persistent FI had higher mean pressuring scores (p = 0.03 and p = 0.03, respectively). No difference in restrictive scores was observed. The persistent FI group was more concerned about their child becoming overweight, p = 0.03. Persistent FI had the highest body mass index z-score point estimate (p = 0.07).

Persistent food insecurity during the first 24 months of life were associated with differences in PFB that may contribute to obesity.

NCT01040897.