Concern Explaining Nonresponsive Feeding: A Study of Mothers' and Fathers' Response to Their Child's Fussy Eating

Holly A Harris; Elena Jansen; Kimberley M Mallan; Lynne Daniels; Karen Thorpe

doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2018.05.021

Concern Explaining Nonresponsive Feeding: A Study of Mothers' and Fathers' Response to Their Child's Fussy Eating

J Nutr Educ Behav. 2018 Sep;50(8):757-764. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2018.05.021.

Authors

Holly A Harris¹, Elena Jansen², Kimberley M Mallan³, Lynne Daniels², Karen Thorpe⁴

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Children's Health Research, Queensland University of Technology, South Brisbane, Brisbane, Australia; School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, Australia. Electronic address: holly.harris@uq.edu.au.
² Centre for Children's Health Research, Queensland University of Technology, South Brisbane, Brisbane, Australia; School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, Australia.
³ School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, Australia; School of Psychology, Australian Catholic University, Banyo, Brisbane, Australia.
⁴ Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland, Indooroopilly, Brisbane, Australia.

PMID: 30196882
DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2018.05.021

Abstract

Objective: To examine the role of parent concern in explaining nonresponsive feeding practices in response to child fussy eating in socioeconomically disadvantaged families.

Design: Mediation analysis of cross-sectional survey data.

Setting: Socioeconomically disadvantaged urban community in Queensland, Australia.

Participants: Cohabiting mother-father pairs (n = 208) with children aged 2-5 years.

Main outcome measure(s): Two validated measures of nonresponsive feeding: persuasive feeding and reward for eating.

Analysis: Mediation analysis tested concern as a mediator of the relationship between child food fussiness (independent variable) and parent nonresponsive feeding practices (dependent variables), adjusted for significant covariates and modeled separately for mothers and fathers.

Results: Maternal concern fully mediated the relationship between child food fussiness and persuasive feeding (indirect effect: B [SE] = 0.10 [0.05]; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.01-0.20). Concern also fully mediated the relationship between child food fussiness and reward for eating for mothers (indirect effect: B [SE] = 0.17 [0.07]; CI, 0.04-0.31) and fathers (indirect effect: B [SE] = 0.14 [0.05]; CI, 0.04-0.24) CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Concern for fussy eating behaviors may explain mothers' and fathers' nonresponsive feeding practices. In addition to providing education and behavioral support, health professionals working with socioeconomically disadvantaged families can incorporate strategies that aim to alleviate parents' concerns about fussy eating.

Keywords: concern; fathers; feeding practices; fussy eating; mothers.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Child, Preschool
Cross-Sectional Studies
Fathers
Feeding Behavior / physiology*
Female
Humans
Male
Mothers
Parent-Child Relations*
Parenting / psychology*
Queensland / epidemiology
Reward
Socioeconomic Factors