Parental Feeding Practices in Relation to Maternal Education and Childhood Obesity.

Thangiah Geetha,Priscilla Ayine,Vaithinathan Selvaraju,Chandra M K Venkatapoorna

doi:10.3390/nu12041033

Abstract

Parental beliefs, attitudes, and feeding practices play a vital role in childhood obesity. This study aimed to assess parental perceptions, concerns about weight, feeding practices using the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ), and its association with body mass index (BMI) and maternal education in elementary school children. Participants aged 6–10 years (n = 169) were recruited and anthropometric measurements were obtained. Pearson’s correlation and hierarchical linear regression analysis were used to examine the association between BMI z-score and the seven factors of the CFQ. The BMI z-score was significantly associated with parental perceived child weight and concern about child weight. The BMI z-score had a significant negative association with parents pressuring children to eat. Parents of obese children reported significantly higher (p < 0.001) levels of perceived child weight (β = 0.312) and concern (β = 0.320) about their child’s weight compared to the normal weight and overweight groups. Parents of overweight children showed considerably less (β = −0.224; p < 0.005) pressuring towards their children to eat as compared to parents of normal weight children. Additionally, we found that the parental feeding practice (pressure to eat) was only dependent upon maternal education. The path analysis indicates that maternal education has a mediating effect on BMI z-score and pressure to eat is related to BMI z-score through maternal education. The findings demonstrate the association between the parents’ perceptions, concerns, and pressure to eat with BMI z-score of elementary school-aged children. Only the parental feeding practice pressure to eat was dependent upon the maternal education.

Highlights

Childhood obesity has received significant attention over the past few decades, it remains a major public health concern [1]
In the present study we asked two questions: first, to what extent are parents’ perceptions, concerns, and feeding practices related with the obesity of children? Second, are any of the associated factors correlated with maternal education? For this we investigated the association between body mass index (BMI)
We found of the seven factors (PCW, CN, Pressure to Eat (PE)) of the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ) were found to be significant predictors of child BMI

Summary

Introduction

Childhood obesity has received significant attention over the past few decades, it remains a major public health concern [1]. In the United States, childhood obesity has tripled in the past decade. It is estimated that about 13.7 million children and adolescents are currently obese in the United States [2]. In Alabama, more than 36% of children are overweight and obese, and it is the. 5th highest ranked state in obesity [3]. Obesity is typically characterized by an increase in body fat mass [4]. The common causes of childhood obesity include diet, behavioral, and genetic factors [5]

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Conclusion