Mothers' Child‐feeding Practices Are Associated with Children's Sugar‐sweetened Beverage Intake

Abstract

We examined the associations between mothers' child‐feeding practices and children's sugar‐sweetened beverage (SSB) intake among 6‐year‐olds using data from the Year 6 Follow‐Up of Infant Feeding Practices Study II (n=1350). The outcome variable was child's SSB intake. The exposure variables were 4 child‐feeding practices of mothers (set limits on sweets or junk foods; regulating child's favorite food intake to prevent overconsumption; pressuring their child eat enough; and pressuring their child to “clean the plate”). We used multivariate logistic regression and controlled for child and maternal characteristics. Analyses were stratified on child weight status. Consuming SSB 蠅1 time/day at age 6 years was observed among 17.1% of underweight/normal weight children and 23.2% of overweight/obese children. The adjusted odds for consuming SSB 蠅1 time/day (vs. no SSB intake) were significantly lower in children with mothers who set limits on sweets/junk foods (odds ratio (OR)=0.29 for underweight/normal weight children; OR=0.16 for overweight/obese children). SSB intake was higher among underweight/normal weight children whose mothers tried to keep them from eating too much of favorite foods (OR=2.03). Mothers' tendency to pressure their children to consume more food or “clean the plate” was not associated with child's SSB intake. SSBs were commonly consumed by young children and mothers' reported attempts to restrict children's intake of foods was associated with child's SSB intake. Future studies can investigate the impact of alternative child feeding practices on reducing children's SSB intake.