Bidirectional associations between fathers' food parenting practices and children's dietary intake

This study examines bidirectional associations between fathers' food parenting practices and children's dietary intake of fruits, vegetables, fast food, and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) across two time points. Data were drawn from the Fathers & Families Study (n = 802 fathers of children aged 2-6 years). For each dietary outcome (fruit and vegetable ≥2 times/day; fast food and SSB <1 time/week), cross-lagged panel models were estimated to assess longitudinal associations with fathers' food parenting practices (structure and coercive control), adjusting for Time 1 sociodemographic covariates. Cross-lagged analyses revealed bidirectional associations: Higher paternal structure at Time 1 predicted children's consumption of vegetables ≥2 times/day at Time 2 (β = 0.09, 95%CI:0.01-0.17), and children consuming vegetables ≥2 times/day at Time 1 predicted higher paternal structure at Time 2 (β = 0.15, 95%CI:0.08-0.21). Similarly, higher paternal structure at Time 1 predicted a higher likelihood of children consuming fast food <1 time/week at Time 2 (β = 0.18, 95%CI:0.11-0.25), and children consuming fast food <1 time/week at Time 1 predicted higher paternal structure at Time 2 (β = 0.10, 95%CI:0.02-0.18). Additionally, higher paternal coercive control at Time 1 predicted a lower likelihood of children consuming SSB <1 time/week at Time 2 (β = -0.12, 95%CI:-0.20 to -0.04), whereas children consuming SSB <1 time/week at Time 1 predicted lower coercive control at Time 2 (β = -0.12, 95%CI:-0.21 to -0.04). Results suggest that fathers' food parenting practices and children's dietary intake may mutually shape one another over time. Further research is needed to clarify the mechanisms underlying these associations and their implications for long-term child health.