Bidirectional Associations between Parental Feeding Practices and Child Eating Behaviors in a Chinese Sample
Background: Child eating behaviors (CEBs) and parental feeding practices (PFPs) play critical roles in childhood obesity. However, the bidirectional relationships between CEBs and PFPs remain equivocal. This longitudinal study aimed to explore their bidirectional relationships. Methods: A convenienc...
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MDPI AG
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/1/44 |
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| author | Jian Wang Ruxing Wu Xiaoxue Wei Yan-Shing Chang Xianqing Tang Bingqian Zhu Yang Cao Yinghui Wu Daqiao Zhu |
| author_facet | Jian Wang Ruxing Wu Xiaoxue Wei Yan-Shing Chang Xianqing Tang Bingqian Zhu Yang Cao Yinghui Wu Daqiao Zhu |
| author_sort | Jian Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Child eating behaviors (CEBs) and parental feeding practices (PFPs) play critical roles in childhood obesity. However, the bidirectional relationships between CEBs and PFPs remain equivocal. This longitudinal study aimed to explore their bidirectional relationships. Methods: A convenience sample of 870 parents with preschoolers was recruited in this longitudinal study (Shanghai, China). Three non-responsive feeding practices (NFPs), three responsive feeding practices (RFPs), five CEBs, and covariates were collected using validated questionnaires at baseline and the 6-month follow-up. Cross-lagged analyses using structural equation modeling (SEM) were performed to examine their bidirectional relationships. Results: Eight hundred and fifty-three parents completed questionnaires, with a response rate of 98%. The mean age of their children at baseline was 4.39 years (standard deviation = 0.72 years). Eighteen out of sixty longitudinal cross-lagged paths were statistically significant. Parental encouragement of healthy eating and content-restricted feeding were found to be bidirectionally associated with child food fussiness. Four parent-driven associations and one child-driven association were identified between RFPs and CEBs. For example, monitoring was negatively associated with children’s unhealthy eating habits (<i>β</i> = −0.066, standard error (SE) = 0.025, <i>p</i> < 0.01). Eight child-driven associations and one parent-driven association were observed between NFPs and CEBs. For example, higher child satiety responsiveness predicted a higher pressure to eat (<i>β</i> = 0.057, SE = 0.029, <i>p</i> < 0.01) and the use of food as a reward (<i>β</i> = 0.083, SE = 0.031, <i>p</i> < 0.01). Conclusions: There were bidirectional, parent-driven, and child-driven associations. Parents should be encouraged to adopt RFPs to shape CEBs. Increasing parents’ understanding of CEBs and providing them with reasonable coping strategies would help optimize PFPs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T15:00:52Z |
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| id | doaj.art-f69c1d82af744d2a911defabf75d2f67 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T15:00:52Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
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| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-f69c1d82af744d2a911defabf75d2f672024-01-10T15:05:20ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432023-12-011614410.3390/nu16010044Bidirectional Associations between Parental Feeding Practices and Child Eating Behaviors in a Chinese SampleJian Wang0Ruxing Wu1Xiaoxue Wei2Yan-Shing Chang3Xianqing Tang4Bingqian Zhu5Yang Cao6Yinghui Wu7Daqiao Zhu8School of Nursing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, ChinaSchool of Nursing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, ChinaSchool of Nursing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, ChinaFlorence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care, King’s College London, London SE1 8WA, UKDepartment of Children’s Disease Prevention, Jinyang Community Health Service Center, Shanghai 200136, ChinaSchool of Nursing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, ChinaClinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, 70182 Örebro, SwedenSchool of Nursing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, ChinaSchool of Nursing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, ChinaBackground: Child eating behaviors (CEBs) and parental feeding practices (PFPs) play critical roles in childhood obesity. However, the bidirectional relationships between CEBs and PFPs remain equivocal. This longitudinal study aimed to explore their bidirectional relationships. Methods: A convenience sample of 870 parents with preschoolers was recruited in this longitudinal study (Shanghai, China). Three non-responsive feeding practices (NFPs), three responsive feeding practices (RFPs), five CEBs, and covariates were collected using validated questionnaires at baseline and the 6-month follow-up. Cross-lagged analyses using structural equation modeling (SEM) were performed to examine their bidirectional relationships. Results: Eight hundred and fifty-three parents completed questionnaires, with a response rate of 98%. The mean age of their children at baseline was 4.39 years (standard deviation = 0.72 years). Eighteen out of sixty longitudinal cross-lagged paths were statistically significant. Parental encouragement of healthy eating and content-restricted feeding were found to be bidirectionally associated with child food fussiness. Four parent-driven associations and one child-driven association were identified between RFPs and CEBs. For example, monitoring was negatively associated with children’s unhealthy eating habits (<i>β</i> = −0.066, standard error (SE) = 0.025, <i>p</i> < 0.01). Eight child-driven associations and one parent-driven association were observed between NFPs and CEBs. For example, higher child satiety responsiveness predicted a higher pressure to eat (<i>β</i> = 0.057, SE = 0.029, <i>p</i> < 0.01) and the use of food as a reward (<i>β</i> = 0.083, SE = 0.031, <i>p</i> < 0.01). Conclusions: There were bidirectional, parent-driven, and child-driven associations. Parents should be encouraged to adopt RFPs to shape CEBs. Increasing parents’ understanding of CEBs and providing them with reasonable coping strategies would help optimize PFPs.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/1/44parentspreschool childrenfeeding practiceseating behaviorsbidirectional relationships |
| spellingShingle | Jian Wang Ruxing Wu Xiaoxue Wei Yan-Shing Chang Xianqing Tang Bingqian Zhu Yang Cao Yinghui Wu Daqiao Zhu Bidirectional Associations between Parental Feeding Practices and Child Eating Behaviors in a Chinese Sample Nutrients parents preschool children feeding practices eating behaviors bidirectional relationships |
| title | Bidirectional Associations between Parental Feeding Practices and Child Eating Behaviors in a Chinese Sample |
| title_full | Bidirectional Associations between Parental Feeding Practices and Child Eating Behaviors in a Chinese Sample |
| title_fullStr | Bidirectional Associations between Parental Feeding Practices and Child Eating Behaviors in a Chinese Sample |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bidirectional Associations between Parental Feeding Practices and Child Eating Behaviors in a Chinese Sample |
| title_short | Bidirectional Associations between Parental Feeding Practices and Child Eating Behaviors in a Chinese Sample |
| title_sort | bidirectional associations between parental feeding practices and child eating behaviors in a chinese sample |
| topic | parents preschool children feeding practices eating behaviors bidirectional relationships |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/1/44 |
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