Family food talk, child eating behavior, and maternal feeding practices

The relationship between caregivers and daughters' food and body shape scripts: A dyadic analysis

Research indicates a key role for parenting in a daughter's relationship with food and body shape. One possible mechanism for this translational process is through scripts. The present study used a dyadic design to investigate the relationship between caregivers and daughters' scripts regarding food and body shape. Caregivers (n = 40) and their daughters (n = 40) rated word lists of their current and childhood scripts and caregivers completed an additional measure of their parenting scripts. Non-dyadic analysis showed consistent correlations between daughters' current scripts and their recollections of childhood scripts, and several (but less consistent) correlations between caregivers' current scripts, their own childhood scripts and the scripts they had used as a parent. Dyadic analysis showed consistent correlations between the daughter's current scripts relating to negative eating and both positive and negative body scripts and their caregiver's parenting scripts, and between the daughter's current scripts relating to positive and negative eating and body looking positive and their caregiver's current scripts. No associations were found between the daughter's current scripts and the caregiver's childhood scripts. The results indicate that whilst daughters' current scripts relating to food and body shape are often concordant to those reported by their caregivers, they are more closely linked to what they remember from their childhoods. Further, they suggest that those scripts which do transfer between generations may be more related to body size and negative eating than food per se. Finally, the results suggest that scripts do not inevitably pass across the generations possibly due to parents choosing not to repeat the errors of their own parents or due to the role of factors other than just parenting in creating the scripts we hold.

[Adherence to the Mediterranean diet and eating behaviour in Spanish schoolchildren]

Introduction

Introduction: eating behaviors may modulate or influence diet quality and the degree of adherence to the Mediterranean diet in children and adolescents. Aims: to investigate the association between diet quality and eating behavior in a group of Spanish schoolchildren. Methods: descriptive cross-sectional study of 283 Spain schoolchildren aged six to 16. Each subject was assessed using the KIDMED questionnaire for adherence to the Mediterranean diet and the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) questionnaire to assess eating behavior. Results: of the sample, 12.80 % had low adherence to the Mediterranean diet, 59.80 % had poor adherence, 59.80 % could be improved, and 27.40 % had high adherence. When relating eating behavior to dietary quality, it was found that, generally, schoolchildren with greater enjoyment of food and less demand for food have double the adherence to the Mediterranean diet due to almost twice the consumption of vegetables, nuts, and fish, and a lower intake of low-quality processed foods (sweets). The response to satiety and the speed of ingestion also played an important role in food choices. Conclusions: eating behaviors may play an essential role in the quality of school children's diets highlighting the enjoyment and acceptance or rejection of food. Given the bidirectional nature of the effects between eating behaviors and diet quality, the joint analysis may be the basis for future research with the aim of a better nutritional approach from the earliest ages.

Family characteristics in adolescents with overweight or obesity: a network analysis

Background

Rates of overweight and obesity continue to grow in adolescents. Overweight and obesity in adolescence are associated with numerous immediate and long-term adverse health conditions. Throughout adolescence, parents and the family have an important and central influence on adolescents' health and lifestyle. The home environment may be a major factor in shaping children's weight. However, our current understanding of the interplay between family-related variables in adolescents with overweight or obesity is limited and fragmented. This study aimed to assess the relationship between family-related variables in adolescents who are overweight or obese using network analysis and inform future health promotion for family-based intervention.

Methods

Participants (n = 488) were recruited from middle schools in Nanjing from October 2022 to March 2023. Participants, together with their parents, completed a questionnaire at school about the family food environment, family size, family APGAR index, family physical activity facilities, parental mental health, rearing behavior, parental weight status, drinking history, marital satisfaction, and sociodemographic characteristics.

Results

The network split into three distinct communities of items. Network analysis showed that parental mental health and paternal rearing styles-rejection were the most central nodes in the network. In contrast, maternal weight status was the most peripheral and least connected nodes.

Conclusion

Family-related variables constituted a connected network in adolescents with overweight or obesity. The pattern of network node connections supports that interventions could prioritize targeting changing parental mental health and paternal rearing styles in adolescents with overweight or obesity.

Examining the feasibility of a brief parent intervention designed to promote positive food communication with infants

BACKGROUND

Few prevention interventions exist focusing on supporting parents to use positive food communication at mealtimes, for the prevention of disordered eating. "Mealtime chatter matters (MCM)" is a brief intervention designed for parents of infants. The intervention was designed in collaboration with child health nurses (CHNs) to be embedded into usual care. The overall aim of this study was to test the feasibility of the intervention through examining the acceptability of the MCM content and resources and the potential impact of the intervention on parents.

METHODS

This pilot study utilised a mixed methods approach and took place within a regional child health service in Queensland, Australia (October 2021 to June 2022). Participants were parents of infants attending child health education groups and CHNs. The intervention consisted of a brief education session (including accompanying resources), facilitated by a Paediatric Dietitian. The acceptability of MCM content and resources was assessed by both parents and CHNs via self-reported questionnaires and the potential impact on parents assessed via pre-/post-self-reported questionnaires.

RESULTS

Forty-six parents of infants (aged < 8 months) and six CHNs who hosted the intervention and observed the program's delivery participated in the study. MCM content and resources were highly acceptable to parents and CHNs, as both qualitative and quantitative data concurred. How the program may have potentially impacted parenting practices was unclear from the survey results and further investigation is required to better understand these. Tangible lessons and opportunities to further test this intervention were clear from current results.

CONCLUSION

Overall, MCM was acceptable to both parents and CHNs, with the content and resources both being highly valued. Parents reported the content to be informative and engaging and CHNs were keen to have such an intervention available in the future. However, further modification and testing is required of MCM. This feasibility study is an essential first step in supporting parents and CHNs to access an evidence-based intervention with the aim of preventing disordered eating.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Griffith University Human Research Ethics Committee (2021/577) and Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service Human Research Ethics Committee (QGC/76618).

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Disorder (ARFID), Food Neophobia, Other Eating-Related Behaviours and Feeding Practices among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and in Non-Clinical Sample: A Preliminary Study

Previous research shows that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may experience several difficulties-including those related to eating-and this area of research needs to be explored further. This study had two main objectives: (1) comparison of the clinical (autism spectrum disorder) and non-clinical sample of children in terms of avoidant/restrictive food disorder, food neophobia, other eating-related behaviours and feeding practices; (2) assessment of selected predictors of food neophobia. The final sample included 54 children and parents from the clinical sample (ASD) and 51 from the non-clinical sample. Parents completed: the autism spectrum rating scales (ASRS), the eating disorders in youth questionnaire (EDY-Q), the children food neophobia scale (CFNS), the child eating behaviour questionnaire (CEBQ), the child feeding questionnaire (CFQ), and a socio-demographic survey. Our analysis allowed us to partially confirm the first hypothesis since the clinical sample (vs. the non-clinical group) had significantly higher scores in such variables as (a) avoidant/restrictive food disorder (ARFID), (b) food neophobia, (c) other eating-related behaviours: emotional under-eating, desire to drink, food fussiness, (d) feeding practices: pressure to eat. Moreover, our analysis of predictors of food neophobia in the clinical and non-clinical samples also allowed us to partially confirm the second hypothesis because it turned out that only in the clinical sample (vs. the non-clinical sample) were the predictors significantly associated with food neophobia, but only two of them (food fussiness and selective eating). In conclusion, our study showed that children with ASD (compared to children without this diagnosis) experience increased difficulties in eating behaviours, and their parents present a stronger intensity of the feeding practice based on pressure to eat. This study showed that feeding problems for children in the ASD sample are a significant problem, and it is still worth exploring this area in research.

Child Weight Status: The Role of Feeding Styles and Highly Motivated Eating in Children

Although parental feeding plays an important role in child eating and weight status, high food motivation among children may also be a factor shaping how feeding impacts child weight. This study explored whether individual differences in preschool children’s food motivation interacted with mothers’ feeding styles in predicting subsequent child weight status. Participants included 129 Hispanic Head Start mother/child dyads. Data were collected at ages 4–5 years (Time 1) and 7–9 (Time 3). Staff measured heights/weights and observed children in an eating in the absence of hunger task. Mothers reported on feeding styles/practices and children’s eating behaviors. A principal components analysis derived a measure of highly motivated eating in children. Multiple regressions predicted Time 3 child BMI z-scores. Time 3 BMI z-scores were positively predicted by authoritative and indulgent feeding styles and negatively predicted by monitoring. Since feeding style interacted with highly motivated eating, separate regressions were run for high and low food motivation in children. Unexpectedly, results showed that authoritative feeding positively predicted Time 3 child BMI z-scores only for children showing low levels of food motivation. Characterizing differential parental feeding and child eating phenotypes may assist in tailoring childhood obesity prevention programs for the target populations.

Eating Behavior and Obesity in a Sample of Spanish Schoolchildren

From the point of view of prevention, it is convenient to explore the association between eating behavior and the obese phenotype during school and adolescent age. The aim of the present study was to identify eating behavior patterns associated with nutritional status in Spanish schoolchildren. A cross-sectional study of 283 boys and girls (aged 6 to 16 years) was carried out. The sample was evaluated anthropometrically by Body Mass Index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and body fat percentage (%BF). Eating behavior was analyzed using the CEBQ "Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire". The subscales of the CEBQ were significantly associated with BMI, WHtR and %BF. Pro-intake subscales (enjoyment of food, food responsiveness, emotional overeating, desire for drinks) were positively related to excess weight by BMI (β = 0.812 to 0.869; p = 0.002 to <0.001), abdominal obesity (β = 0.543-0.640; p = 0.02 to <0.009) and high adiposity (β = 0.508 to 0.595; p = 0.037 to 0.01). Anti-intake subscales (satiety responsiveness, slowness in eating, food fussiness) were negatively related to BMI (β = -0.661 to -0.719; p = 0.009 to 0.006) and % BF (β = -0.17 to -0.46; p = 0.042 to p = 0.016).

Obesity risk factors in Turkish preschool children: a cross-sectional study

Amaç: Bu çalışma, Türk okul öncesi çocuklarında obezite ile ilgili potansiyel risk faktörlerini -gebelik öncesi ve sonrası, çocuk, ebeveyn ve çevresel faktörler- belirlemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Özel ve devlete bağlı 25 anaokulunda 3-5 yaş grubu 538 çocuk ve anneleri ile yüz yüze görüşme yöntemi kullanılarak kesitsel bir çalışma gerçekleştirilmiştir. Gebelik, bebeklik ve okul öncesi döneme ait demografik, antropometrik, beslenme, uyku ve fiziksel aktivite bilgileri sorgulanmıştır. İki günlük besin tüketim kayıtları ve antropometrik ölçümleri alınmıştır. Bulgular: Okul öncesi çocuklarda hafif şişmanlık ve obezite sıklığı %27 olarak saptanmıştır. Yirmi sekiz potansiyel risk faktöründen gebelik öncesi obezitesi [1,108 (1,042-1,179)], gebelik sonu obezitesi (OR:4,350, CI:2,053-9,217), gebelikte >200mg/gün kafein alımı (OR:1,588, CI:1,031- 2,446), obezitesi olan babaya sahip olma (OR:1,089 CI:1,027-1,155), devlet okulu yerine özel okula gitme (OR:2,093, CI:1,298-3,376), hızlı yeme (OR:3,355, CI:1,175-9,583), kısa öğle yemeği süresi (OR:0,966, CI:0,934-0,998), günlük uyku süresinin 2 saat ekran süresi (OR:1,560, CI:1,012-2,405) okul öncesi çocukluk obezitesi ile ilişkili bulunmuştur. Sonuç: Ebeveyn obezitesi, gebelikte kafein alımı, yeme hızı, günlük uyku ve ekran süresi Türk okul öncesi çocuklarında obezite risk faktörleri olarak belirlendi. Erken çocukluk döneminde anne ve çocuğa ait risk faktörlerinin belirlenmesi, yaşam tarzının ve obezojenik çevrenin düzenlenmesi, obeziteden koruyucu olabilir.

Effect of COVID-19 Lockdown on Children's Eating Behaviours: A Longitudinal Study

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on children’s lifestyle and eating behaviour, resulting in an increase of obesity prevalence. The CEBQ (Children’s Eating Behaviour Questionnaire) is a validate questionnaire that investigates children’s eating behaviour. Knowing the psychological consequences of daily routine disruption during lockdown, we evaluated the changes in eating behaviours in a paediatric cohort before and during the lockdown period through the evaluation of the Italian version of the CEBQ. We prospectively enrolled children attending the pediatric clinic of the University of Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’. All parents answered the parent-report version of the CEBQ before lockdown containment. During lockdown, the second survey was carried out by telephone call. The study sample included 69 children. Food responsiveness and emotional overeating subscales showed higher scores during lockdown compared to data before lockdown (p = 0.009 and p = 0.001, respectively). Conversely, desire to drink and satiety responsiveness showed lower scores at follow-up (p = 0.04 and p = 0.0001, respectively). No differences were observed for slowness in eating and enjoyment of food. Delta changes were higher in normal-weight children compared to children with obesity (p = 0.02). Our results confirm that containment measures during the COVID-19 pandemic have acted as triggers on certain eating behaviors that mostly predispose to an obesogenic manner.

Communication About Food and Nutrition in the Parent Child Dyad

PURPOSE

Developmentally appropriate messaging interventions may be an effective way to promote healthy behaviors in young children. However, there is a gap in the literature describing communication about food and nutrition within the parent-child dyad. Thus, we explored the content, frequency, context, and purpose of parental conversations about food and nutrition.

DESIGN

Using a semi-structured interview guide, 20 in-person interviews were conducted with parents of 3 to 9 year old children living in Washington and Oregon at the location of their choice.

METHODS

Qualitative data was analyzed using open coding and grounded theory.

RESULTS

Three categories described communication within the dyad: purpose, content, and the bidirectional interaction between the parent and the child. Purpose included three themes: consumption, variety, and balance. Content included three themes: food-related content, body-related content, and utilizing connections. Subthemes within food-related content included properties, production, and preparation. Body-related content subthemes were utilization of food in the body and interoceptive awareness. Parents highlighted connections between the food and body-related content. Lastly, parent-child conversations about food and nutrition were dynamic and bidirectional with parents adapting to child factors.

CONCLUSION

Our findings provide a description of parent communication about food and nutrition and suggest investigation of the purpose and content of communication and how parents tailor messages to their child.

Language in popular American culture constructs the meaning of healthy and unhealthy eating: Narratives of craveability, excitement, and social connection in movies, television, social media, recipes, and food reviews

Many people want to eat healthier but struggle to do so, in part due to a dominant perception that healthy foods are at odds with hedonic goals. Is the perception that healthy foods are less appealing than unhealthy foods represented in language across popular entertainment media and social media? Six studies analyzed dialogue about food in six cultural products - creations of a culture that reflect its perspectives - including movies, television, social media posts, food recipes, and food reviews. In Study 1 (N = 617 movies) and Study 2 (N = 27 television shows), healthy foods were described with fewer appealing descriptions (e.g., "couldn't stop eating"; d = 0.59 and d = 0.37, respectively) and more unappealing descriptions (e.g., "I hate peas"; d = -.57 and d = -.63, respectively) than unhealthy foods in characters' speech from the film and television industries. Using sources with richer descriptive language, Studies 3-6 analyzed popular American restaurants' Facebook posts (Study 3, N = 2275), recipe descriptions from Allrecipes.com (Study 4, N = 1000), Yelp reviews from six U.S. cities (Study 5, N = 4403), and Twitter tweets (Study 6, N = 10,000) for seven specific themes. Meta-analytic results across Studies 3-6 showed that healthy foods were specifically described as less craveworthy (d = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.44-0.59), less exciting (d = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.31-0.49), and less social (d = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.04-0.68) than unhealthy foods. Machine learning methods further generalized patterns across 1.6 million tweets spanning 42 different foods representing a range of nutritional quality. These data suggest that strategies to encourage healthy choices must counteract pervasive narratives that dissociate healthy foods from craveability, excitement, and social connection in individuals' everyday lives.

Stressed out and fed up: The effect of stress on maternal feeding behaviors and the moderating role of executive function

Stress is associated with a range of unhealthy eating habits, yet few studies have examined how stress may influence the intergenerational transmission of eating habits from parents to their children. Specifically, there is a lack of data regarding the role of stress on feeding practices. Moreover, most work investigating the associations between parental stress and their feeding behaviors has been correlational, limiting our understanding of causality. In the current study, we used an experimental design, induced high and low stress in mothers using a standard laboratory stressor, and observed mother-child interactions during a snack break. We also examined the potential role of maternal executive functioning (EF) for buffering the effects of stress on maternal feeding behaviors. Levels of maternal stress were manipulated with the Trier Social Stress Task (TSST) in a community sample (N = 80 dyads, Child M_age = 41.89 months, female = 43). We measured maternal EF with a series of computerized tasks. Maternal feeding behaviors were coded for controlling behaviors, which included pressuring and restricting behaviors. Results indicate a main effect of stress on controlling feeding behaviors, such that mothers in the high-stress condition exhibited higher levels of controlling behaviors. The effect of stress on controlling feeding behaviors was ameliorated among mothers with higher levels of EF after controlling for child age and income. Results provide causal evidence for the role of stress on feeding behaviors and suggest EF as a factor to be considered in the treatment and prevention of diet-related illnesses.

The association between childhood adiposity and appetite assessed using the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire and Baby Eating Behavior Questionnaire: A systematic review and meta-analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to quantify associations between Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ) and Baby Eating Behavior Questionnaire (BEBQ) appetitive traits (food approach: Food Responsiveness [FR], Enjoyment of Food [EF], Emotional Overeating [EOE], and Desire to Drink [DD]; food avoidant: Satiety Responsiveness [SR], Slowness in Eating [SE], Emotional Undereating [EUE], Food Fussiness [FF]) and measures of child adiposity. Searches of six databases up to February 2019 identified 72 studies (CEBQ, n = 67; BEBQ, n = 5), and 27 met the meta-analysis criteria. For cross-sectional studies reporting unadjusted correlations with body mass index z-scores (BMIz) (n = 19), all traits were associated with BMIz in expected directions (positive: FR, EF, EOE, and DD; negative: SR, SE, EUE, and FF). Pooled estimates ranged from r = 0.22 (FR) to r = -0.21 (SR). For cross-sectional studies reporting regression coefficients (n = 10), three traits (FR, EF, and EOE) associated positively, and three traits (SR, SE, and EUE) negatively, with BMIz (β = -0.31 [SR] to β = 0.22 [FR]). Eleven studies reported prospective relationships from appetite to adiposity measures for six scales (positive: FR, EF, EOE, and DD; negative: SR and SE). Five studies reported relationships from adiposity measures to appetite for five traits (positive: FR, EF, and EOE; negative: SR). All BEBQ traits were consistently cross-sectionally associated with adiposity measures. Overall, CEBQ/BEBQ-assessed appetitive traits show consistent cross-sectional relationships with measures of child adiposity.

The Validity and Reliability of the Persian Version of the Family Health Climate Scale (FHC-Scale) in Female Students and Their Mothers in Iran 2019

OBJECTIVES

This study examined the validity and reliability of the Family Health Climate Scale (FHC-Scale) among Iranian families. Second, can it be attributed to other family members by measuring the health climate in one person?

METHOD

In total, 261 female students and 196 mothers completed the FHC-Scale. The study instrument was a Persian version of the FHC-Scale prepared through a translation and back-translation process.

RESULTS

The results showed that the Persian version of the FHC-Scale is acceptable. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for FHC-PA in female students and their mothers, respectively, was 0.88 and 0.86 for the whole scale. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for FHC-NU in female students and their mothers, respectively, was 0.83 and 0.92 for the whole scale. The CVI values for all the items were equal to or above 0.8, and the CVR value for the total scale was 0.90.

CONCLUSION

The Persian version of the FHC-Scale is therefore an effective tool for evaluating the different dimensions of family health climate in the Iranian population.

Development of a Family-Based Nutrition Program Rooted in Food Parenting Literature

Family-based nutrition programs have been used to support healthy eating; however, few programs emphasize parental roles in regard to food. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a family-based curriculum with a parenting focus aimed at influencing child obesity risk. Qualitative data in the pilot implementation (cohort 1, n = 6 families with elementary-aged children) suggested parent value for: positive messages, hands-on learning, and group sharing. However, Family Nutrition and Physical Activity (FNPA) scores for cohorts 2-6 (n = 18 families) did not change significantly from pre- to post-program. Future implementations will consider more robust ways of assessing change and recruiting participants at various stages of change.

Dialogical construction of parental feeding strategies during family mealtimes

This study focuses on social interactions during family mealtimes to examine the types of arguments used by parents to convince their children to eat. The results of this study show that feeding practices during mealtimes are dialogically constructed by parents and children together. Parents mostly used arguments based on the quality and quantity of food, adapting their language to the child's level of understanding. Future research might consider the observations and the subtle qualitative analyses of social interactions among family members as examples of possible ways to recognize the dialogical construction of feeding practices during mealtimes.

A Cross-Sectional Study on the Relationship between the Family Nutrition Climate and Children's Nutrition Behavior

Background: Parents influence their children’s nutrition behavior. The relationship between parental influences and children’s nutrition behavior is often studied with a focus on the dyadic interaction between the parent and the child. However, parents and children are part of a broader system: the family. We investigated the relationship between the family nutrition climate (FNC), a family-level concept, and children’s nutrition behavior. Methods: Parents of primary school-aged children (N = 229) filled in the validated family nutrition climate (FNC) scale. This scale measures the families’ view on the consumption of healthy nutrition, consisting of four different concepts: value, communication, cohesion, and consensus. Parents also reported their children’s nutrition behavior (i.e., fruit, vegetable, water, candy, savory snack, and soda consumption). Multivariate linear regression analyses, correcting for potential confounders, were used to assess the relationship between the FNC scale (FNC-Total; model 1) and the different FNC subscales (model 2) and the child’s nutrition behavior. Results: FNC-Total was positively related to fruit and vegetable intake and negatively related to soda consumption. FNC-value was a significant predictor of vegetable (positive) and candy intake (negative), and FNC-communication was a significant predictor of soda consumption (negative). FNC-communication, FNC-cohesion, and FNC-consensus were significant predictors (positive, positive, and negative, respectively) of water consumption. Conclusions: The FNC is related to children’s nutrition behavior and especially to the consumption of healthy nutrition. These results imply the importance of taking the family-level influence into account when studying the influence of parents on children’s nutrition behavior. Trial registration: Dutch Trial Register NTR6716 (registration date 27 June 2017, retrospectively registered), METC163027, NL58554.068.16, Fonds NutsOhra project number 101.253.

Child-Centered Nutrition Phrases Plus Repeated Exposure Increase Preschoolers' Consumption of Healthful Foods, but Not Liking or Willingness to Try

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether the use of child-centered nutrition phrases (CCNP) with repeated exposure (RE) improved willingness to try, liking, and consumption of healthful foods compared with RE alone.

DESIGN

The researchers used a 2 × 2 × 4 fractionated within-subjects experimental design in the study: phrase condition (RE vs CCNP + RE) by time of measurement (preintervention, postintervention, and 1-month follow-up), by type of food (tomatoes, bell peppers, lentils, and quinoa).

SETTING

Children were recruited from 2 early education centers; 89% participated.

PARTICIPANTS

Children aged 3-6 years old (n = 87) who were predominantly white (67%) and from middle-income homes and had parents with some higher education.

INTERVENTION

Adult delivery of CCNP + RE weekly for 6 weeks.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Willingness to try, change in liking, and change in consumption.

ANALYSIS

Two-level random-effects models were used to account for repeated measurements of willingness to try, liking, and consumption nested within participants.

RESULTS

Children exhibited greater consumption of CCNP foods at follow-up assessment compared with RE foods (b = -16.28, SE = 5.41, t(528) = 3.01; P = .003).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Use of CCNP combined with RE may encourage healthy eating, especially for novel foods that children may typically refuse.

My Child at mealtime parent self-assessment of food related behaviors: Validation with mealtime behaviors

My Child at Mealtime (MCMT) is a visually enhanced, self-assessment tool designed to measure parent food related behaviors of low-income caregivers of preschool-aged children. The current study examined the factor structure of MCMT and the correspondence between MCMT parent- and child-centered food related behaviors with observed behaviors during a mealtime with their preschool aged child. Caregivers (N = 175) completed MCMT, and a subsample (n = 60) had a mealtime videotaped in their home. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis supported a two-factor structure resulting in parent-centered and child-centered MCMT subscales. There was a significant association between parent-centered MCMT scores and observed parent-centered behaviors at mealtime. Behavioral correspondence of MCMT child-centered behaviors was generally weaker. Overall, the findings suggest that caregivers' MCMT responses provide a valid measure of parent food related behaviors.