Parental feeding practices and children's disordered eating among single parents and co-parents.

Abstract

Some parental feeding practices are associated with pediatric disordered eating and weight status. Existing research, however, has focused on maternal feeding practices in co-parent households. Single parents and fathers are notably understudied in this area. The current study examined associations of parental feeding practices with child disordered eating behaviors and weight, and compared associations between single mothers and fathers with a matched sample of co-parenting mothers and fathers. Parents (N = 524) of youth between 5 and 16 years completed an online survey that included measures of parental feeding practices and unhealthy eating/weight-related parenting practices. Co-parents were matched to each single parent based on gender, race, ethnicity, education level, age, and BMI. Single parents reported significantly greater concern about their child's weight, eating and shape, and reported engaging in more restraint and restriction of their child's eating, as well as having more perceived responsibility of their child's eating than caregivers in co-parent households. Children of single parents were significantly more likely to engage in secretive eating. Associations between single parents' feeding practices and child weight and disordered eating parallel the broader literature. There were differences between single mothers and fathers and co-parenting mothers and fathers, particularly in their report of their unhealthy eating/weight-related parenting practices. Such differences may influence children's longer-term eating behaviors and weight status. Further research on single-parent households is needed, including longitudinal and epidemiological studies.