Abstract
Feeding is a source of interaction and communication. It affects children's physical and psychological/emotional development. The present study aims to examine the association between caregiver and child characteristics and caregivers' feeding practices among preschools in Addis Ababa. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 542 caregivers of children aged between 3 and 6 years old in selected preschools. We used the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ) to measure caregivers' feeding practices. Multiple linear regression was used for analysis. Caregivers who had higher levels of perceived feeding responsibility (β 0⋅20, P < 0⋅001), who were more concerned about their child being overweight (β 0⋅11, P < 0⋅001) and who had more depressive symptoms (β 0⋅23, P 0⋅05) were associated with food restriction practice. Caregivers who were less concerned about their child being overweight (β -0⋅10, P < 0⋅001) and who had higher levels of perceived feeding responsibility (β 0⋅25, P < 0⋅001) were associated with pressure to eat practice. Caregivers who had higher education (β 0⋅29, P < 0⋅05), who had higher levels of perceived feeding responsibility (β 0⋅47, P < 0⋅001), who were more concerned about their child being overweight (β 0⋅15, P < 0⋅001) and who were less concerned about their child underweight (β -0⋅06, P < 0⋅05) were associated with monitoring feeding practice. In addition, as the children have gotten older (β 0⋅08, P < 0⋅05), there is increased use of monitoring feeding practice. This study is one of few studies that show the association between caregiver and child characteristics and feeding practices in developing countries such as Ethiopia. It is essential to include responsive feeding components in national nutritional programmes to improve preschool children's nutritional status in Ethiopia.
Highlights
IntroductionFeeding is a process that helps develop strong verbal and nonverbal interaction between caregivers/parents and children[1]
Feeding is a source of interaction and communication
This study is the first to show the association between caregiver and child characteristics and caregiver feeding practices in developing countries such as Ethiopia
Summary
Feeding is a process that helps develop strong verbal and nonverbal interaction between caregivers/parents and children[1] It affects children’s physical and psychological/emotional development[1]. One is pressure to eat, where parents/caregivers pressure their children to eat healthy food and maintain an adequate food intake[3,4] Another feeding strategy is restriction, which involves attempting to control a child’s diet by limiting his/her access to food, unhealthy food. It is practiced directly to be detected by the child[3,4] Another strategy is the monitoring feeding strategy, which involves parents/caregivers overseeing their child’s eating[2]. It is a way of controlling a child’s intake indirectly that cannot be detected by the child[3]. Evidence indicates that children’s eating behaviours journals.cambridge.org/jns
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