Reliability and structural validity of the parental feeding style questionnaire adapted for Brazilian preschool children

Despite being widely used, there has not yet been a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the English version of the Parental Feeding Style Questionnaire (PFSQ). Preschool is a critical time to assess parental feeding styles, and the PFSQ is one of the few measures that can be used with young children. As such, the current study conducted the first CFA on the PFSQ in an English-speaking sample in the United States to establish preliminary evidence of its factor structure. Parents of preschoolers aged 3-5years (N = 297; M = 33.47 years; 85.2% mothers) presenting to a pediatric dentistry office in the Midwest of the United States were recruited to participate in this cross-sectional study. Parents completed the PFSQ in the waiting room of the dental office. Robust maximum likelihood factor analyses were conducted on the PFSQ. The original four-factor model was not confirmed, but rather, results provided preliminary support for a five-factor solution: Control over Eating, Instrumental Feeding, Emotional Feeding, Encouragement of Variety, and Prompting of Eating, CFI = 0.91, SRMR = 0.06, RMSEA = 0.05. The PFSQ is a widely used measure for assessing parental feeding styles in young children. However, the CFA indicated that the originally proposed four-factor structure did not fit well. Certain modifications to the measure were necessary to improve model fit. A five-factor model fit better, and six items were removed, reducing the original 27-item scale to 21 items. Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study.

BackgroundChildhood obesity is a major public health issue in many countries, including China. The importance of parenting relative to the healthy development of children requires the development of instruments for assessing parental influence on child dietary pattern. This study aimed to confirm the internal reliability and validity of a self-report measure on parental feeding styles, including emotional feeding, instrumental feeding, prompting or encouragement to eat, and control over eating.MethodsA 27-item parental feeding style questionnaire (PFSQ) was translated into Chinese and then translated back into English to verify consistency. The questionnaire was then used to conduct a cross-sectional survey on the parents of Hong Kong preschoolers. The internal reliability and validity of the questionnaire were examined by Cronbach’s alpha and exploratory factor analysis, respectively.Results4,553 completed questionnaires were received. Cronbach’s alpha of subscales ranged from 0.63 to 0.81, and the overall reliability was good (alpha = 0.75). The factor structure of this questionnaire was similar to that of the original and Turkish versions. One-factor structure was identified for emotional feeding, instrumental feeding (four items), and prompting or encouragement to eat, whereas a two-factor structure was revealed for control over eating.ConclusionThe Chinese version of the PFSQ has good reliability and validity in assessing parental feeding styles in Hong Kong. Researchers can use this instrument to improve their understanding on how parental feeding styles may affect the dietary patterns and ultimately the weight statuses of children among Chinese-speaking populations across different countries.

Relationship between parental feeding styles and eating behaviours of Dutch children aged 6–7

Parental feeding style (PFS) remarkably influences fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption in preschoolers. This study aimed to determine the association between PFS and preschoolers' F&V consumption, as influenced by socioeconomic factors. A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted among 1418 mothers of children aged 3-5 years in Saudi Arabia. Multinomial logistic regression model analysis was performed to assess the association between PFS and children's daily F&V intake using the Parental Feeding Style Questionnaire. The influence of socioeconomic factors on this association was also evaluated. For mothers with university degrees, encouragement, emotional, and instrumental feeding enhanced their children's intake of F&Vs, fruits, and vegetables, respectively. Children from families earning SAR >10,000 monthly had increased F&V intake with encouragement feeding and increased fruit intake with emotional feeding. However, F&V intake was reduced in children of working mothers with controlling feeding styles. Breastfeeding for <6 months was associated with increased F&V intake through emotional feeding. The most prevalent feeding style was encouragement, followed by emotional, with control and instrumental styles being less common. This study provides strong evidence on the association between PFS and daily F&V intake in Saudi preschoolers. Interventional and longitudinal studies on PFS are required to confirm these findings.

The effect of childrens' eating behaviors and parental feeding style on childhood obesity

There are no validated instruments in Spain for measuring parental feeding styles. The aim was to validate the Parental Feeding Styles Questionnaires (PFSQ) in a Spanish sample. A total of 523 mothers of 523 school-children participated. The children had a mean age of 4.4 years (SD = 1.3), with 51% being boys (M = 4.3 years, SD = 1.4) and 49% girls (M = 4.5 years, = SD 1.3). The PFSQ and the Comprehensive General Parenting Styles Questionnaire (CGPQ) were used. A model of four correlated factors was identified: Prompting/encouraging eating, emotional feeding, instrumental feeding, and control over eating. Cronbach's alpha for the subscales ranged from 0.64 to 0.86, and McDonald's Omega coefficient ranged from 0.66 to 0.86. Emotional feeding and prompting/encouraging eating had values above 0.70, control over eating had a value of 0.68 and instrumental feeding had an alpha coefficient of 0.64 and omega coefficient of 0.66. The factor structure was similar to the original and to other adapted versions. The Spanish sample used more control over eating and prompting/encouraging to eat. The adapted PFSQ is a suitable instrument for assessing the feeding styles of Spanish parents.

The study aimed to determine the correlation between parental feeding style and stunting in toddlers. This study was an observational method with a cross-sectional design. The population of this study were all mothers of toddlers who were in the Minggir Puskesmas (Public Health Center) working area. The sample size in this study was 114 mothers of toddlers, and the sample was chosen using the cluster random sampling technique. Determination of parenting style variables based on demandingness and responsiveness scores. There are four categories of parental feeding styles, namely democratic, authoritarian, permissive, and neglect parenting. Anthropometric measurements of toddlers were carried out directly, and interviews using the parental feeding style questionnaire that had been tested for validation and reliability. That the data was analyzed with Fisher’s Exact test. The Fisher’s Exact test revealed that there was a correlation between parental feeding styles approaches to the stunting incidence with the value of p=0.000 (p&lt;0.05). The parental feeding style that mostly applied to cause stunting is the neglect-feeding style (8.8%). Parents should further improve their parenting patterns by always paying attention to food intake, especially the amount, frequency of feeding, and type of food.

To examine the associations between parental feeding styles and children's dietary intakes and the modifying effect of maternal education and children's ethnicity on these associations. Cross-sectional study of parental feeding styles, assessed by the Parental Feeding Style Questionnaire, and children's dietary intakes. Multiple regression analyses were carried out to assess the associations between the parental feeding styles studied ('control', 'emotional feeding', 'encouragement to eat' and 'instrumental feeding') and children's dietary intakes (consumption of fruit, vegetables, water and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB)). The modifying effect of maternal education and children's ethnicity on these associations was explored. North-western part of the Netherlands. Children aged 3-7 years (n 5926). Both 'encouragement' and 'control' were associated with higher consumption of vegetables and lower consumption of SSB, but only 'encouragement' was positively associated with fruit and water intakes. 'Instrumental feeding' showed a positive association with SSB and negative associations with fruit, vegetable and water consumption. No significant associations were found for 'emotional feeding'. Maternal educational level and children's ethnicity moderated some associations; for example, 'control' was beneficial for vegetable intake in all subgroups, whereas the association with SSB was beneficial only in highly educated mothers. The study shows that both encouraging and controlling feeding styles may improve children's dietary behaviour, while 'instrumental feeding' may have a detrimental effect. Furthermore, maternal educational level and children's ethnicity influence these associations. The study's findings could provide a basis for development of interventions to improve parental feeding styles.

Objectives Early Childhood Caries (ECC) constitutes a prevalent dental affliction among the pediatric population in India, bearing substantial ramifications for both their oral health and general welfare. Parenting attitudes and feeding styles have been identified as influential factors in the development of ECC, yet their specific impacts remain obscure. Material and Methods A cross-sectional investigation was undertaken involving a sample of 100 children within the age range of 3 to 6 years, along with their parents. Parental attitudes were assessed using the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ), while parental feeding practices were evaluated using the Parental Feeding Style Questionnaire (PFSQ). The children’s dental health was examined, and their Decayed, Extracted, and Filled Teeth (def) index was recorded. Descriptive statistics were used and chi-square test was employed to explore associations between parenting styles, feeding practices, and ECC. Results Of the 100 children, 59 exhibited ECC, and 41 were caries-free. The majority of parents demonstrated authoritative parenting, followed by authoritarian and permissive styles. No statistically significant correlation was identified between various parenting styles and the prevalence of ECC. However, parental feeding styles showed significant association with ECC. Conclusion This study highlights that parental feeding practices, may play a role with increased incidence of ECC irrespective of their distinctive parental attitudes.

Contribution of parental feeding practices and home environmental factors to the eating behaviours of preschool children.

Childhood obesity is a global public health issue, including in the Chinese setting, and its prevalence has increased dramatically throughout the last decade. Since the origins of childhood obesity may lie in the pre-school period, factors relating to very young children’s food consumption should be investigated. Parental influence, including feeding style, is the major determinant of childhood dietary behaviour through altering food provision and social environment. However, the applicability of previous research on parental feeding styles was limited by small sample size. To evaluate the influence of parental feeding styles on children's dietary patterns, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 4553 pre-schoolers in Hong Kong. Information was obtained about dietary intake and how regularly they had breakfast, using previous health surveillance surveys taken among primary school students. Parental feeding styles were assessed by a validated Parental Feeding Style Questionnaire and categorized into ‘instrumental feeding’, ‘emotional feeding’, ‘prompting and encouragement to eat’ and ‘control over eating’. Multivariable analysis was performed, adjusted for demographic information. Instrumental and/or emotional feeding was found to relate to inadequate consumption of fruit, vegetables and breakfast, and positively correlated with intake of high-energy-density food. Encouragement on eating was associated with more frequent consumption of fruits, vegetables, dairy products and breakfast. Control over eating correlated with more frequent consumption of fruits, vegetables and breakfast, and less consumption of dairy products and high-energy-density food. The present study has provided evidence on the associations between parental feeding styles and dietary patterns of Hong Kong pre-school children from a reasonably large population. Parents should avoid instrumental and emotional feeding, and implement control and encouragement to promote healthy food intake. Longitudinal studies and interventions on parental feeding style are required to confirm the research findings.

Eating behaviour in childhood has been implicated in development of early childhood caries. Parenting feeding styles can also contribute to development of various eating behaviours. To evaluate relationship between children's eating behaviour and parental feeding styles with ECC in preschool children. A case-control study was conducted in 440 children who were selected and divided into 2 groups: Group A-children with ECC and Group B-children without ECC. Dental caries was recorded using dmft index. The parents of children in both groups were requested to complete the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) and Parental Feeding Style Questionnaire (PFQ). There was positive association of food avoidance subscales of CEBQ (Satiety Responsiveness, Food Fussiness, Slowness in Eating, and Emotional Undereating) along with certain food-approaching subscales (Desire to Drink and Emotional Overeating) with dental caries status. It was also seen that parental feeding patterns such as Encouragement and Instrumental feeding contributed to decrease in dental caries of the child when compared to Control and Emotional feeding. Certain eating and feeding behaviours can possibly be associated with development of ECC, such behaviours can be successfully identified using CEBQ and PFQ.

Background: Nabire is an area that has more stunting nutrition problems with a percentage of 17.1%. Feeding style by parents need to be considered because it will affect behavior and nutritional intake that support the growth and development of toddlers will provide opportunities for stunting.Objectives: The study aimed to measure the relationship of eating behavior based on parental feeding style with the incidence of stunting in toddlers aged 12 to 59 months in Nabire District, Papua.Methods: This study was conducted observational with cross-sectional design. Subjects were collected using purposive sampling method. Research has been conducted at Karang Tumaritis, Bumiwonorejo, Nabire Kota, and Siriwini Health Centers, in October-December 2023. The sample was 106 toddlers, ages 12-59 months who were taken by non-probability sampling. Data collection on eating behavior based on Parental Feeding Style Questionnaire (PSFQ) and toddler height or body length data measured through anthropometric measurement. Data were analyzed using Chi-square method CI 95%.Results: The results of the study found 46,2% of toddlers were stunted and most respondents (56,6%) had inappropriate eating behavior. The relationship test showed a significant relationship between the incidence of stunting and eating behavior based on parental feeding style (p=0,008 and OR 3,200;95%CI=1,422 – 7,201).Conclution: Eating behavior based on parental feeding style has a significant relationship with the incidence of stunting in toddlers.

Eating style is one of the prominente factors that determine energy intake. One of the influencing factors that determine parental feeding style is parental perception of the weight status of the child. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between maternal visual perception of their children's weight status and their feeding style. A cross-sectional survey was completed with only mother's of 380 preschool children with age of 5 to 7 (6.14 years). Visual perception scores were measured with a sketch and maternal feeding style was measured with validated "Parental Feeding Style Questionnaire". The parental feeding dimensions "emotional feeding" and "encouragement to eat" subscale scores were low in overweight children according to visual perception classification. "Emotional feeding" and "permissive control" subscale scores were statistically different in children classified as correctly perceived and incorrectly low perceived group due to maternal misperception. Various feeding styles were related to maternal visual perception. The best approach to preventing obesity and underweight may be to focus on achieving correct parental perception of the weight status of their children, thus improving parental skills and leading them to implement proper feeding styles.

To evaluate parenting styles related to feeding and the nutritional status of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This was a quantitative, cross-sectional, observational study using primary data collection. A total of 52 parents and/or guardians of children of both sexes aged 5 to 10 years participated. Parenting style was identified using the Parental Feeding Style Questionnaire. Food selectivity was assessed using the Eating Behavior Assessment Scale for Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Nutritional status was determined through the following indices: weight-for-age, height-for-age, and body mass index-for-age. The three parenting styles identified in this research were uninvolved, responsive, and permissive. Regarding food selectivity, most children (76.9%) were classified as always selective (48.1%) or frequently selective (28.8%). Half (50%) of the children presented adequate weight-for-age. Concerning body mass index, half (50%) were classified as adequate; however, the prevalence of obesity and severe obesity among boys (15.4% and 17.9%, respectively) was higher than among girls (0% and 7.7%, respectively). The uninvolved parenting style was the most prevalent. Moreover, a high presence of food selectivity was observed among children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Although most children were eutrophic, it is important to monitor cases of excess weight, especially among boys.