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Richardson TN, Reis P, Swanson M. Mental Health and Feeding Styles in Parents of Formula-Fed Infants. Child Obes 2024; 20:178-187. [PMID: 37130301 PMCID: PMC10979682 DOI: 10.1089/chi.2022.0225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Background: Nonresponsive feeding styles can contribute to rapid weight gain in infancy and subsequent obesity in childhood. There is a need to investigate factors such as parental mental health symptoms (stress, depression, and anxiety) that may contribute to nonresponsive feeding styles. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between parental mental health symptoms and feeding styles in parents of healthy, term formula-fed infants during the first year of life. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational design was employed using online surveys. We recruited participants through Facebook groups and pediatricians' offices. Instruments included a demographic questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale-10, Patient Health Questionnaire-Depression Module-9, 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment, and Infant Feeding Style Questionnaire. Results: Participants were 306 parents of formula-fed infants. Greater depressive symptoms was the strongest predictor of the pressuring style (β = 0.54), while greater symptoms of stress (β = -0.13) and anxiety (β = -0.28) were associated with lower pressuring scores. Greater depressive symptoms was the strongest predictor of the laissez-faire style (β = 0.48), while greater symptoms of stress (β = -0.17) and anxiety (β = -0.23) were associated with lower laissez-faire scores. Engaging in ≤50% of the infant's feeds was the strongest control variable predictor for the pressuring and laissez-faire styles. None of the mental health variables were significantly related to the restrictive style. Conclusions: We recommend increased screening for depressive symptoms in parents of infants and responsive feeding support, especially for those experiencing depressive symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pamela Reis
- College of Nursing, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Mel Swanson
- College of Nursing, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
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Carr T, Thompson AL, Benjamin-Neelon SE, Wasser HM, Ward DS. Confirmatory factor analysis of the infant feeding styles questionnaire in infant and toddler child care teachers. Appetite 2023; 183:106449. [PMID: 36621724 PMCID: PMC10041657 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.106449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Early childhood is a critical time of development. Caregiver feeding style, including of child care providers, has been implicated in influencing children's food preferences and obesity. A better understanding of the determinants of child care providers' feeding styles is important as children increasingly receive daily care and nutrition in child care centers. Valid instruments to measure provider feeding styles specifically for infants are needed. This study's objective was to validate, for use with child care providers, the Infant Feeding Styles Questionnaire (IFSQ), an instrument originally designed for parents of infants and toddlers. Study data came from the Baby Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Baby NAP SACC) study, a cluster randomized trial, designed to evaluate the efficacy of a six-month-long obesity prevention intervention in child care centers. The IFSQ was administered at baseline and follow-up to infant and toddler teacher participants (n = 244). Scores for baseline IFSQ teacher responses (n = 219) were calculated for the 13 sub-constructs across the five feeding styles. We tested reliability with Cronbach's alpha coefficients and performed confirmatory factor analysis to examine factor loadings and goodness of fit characteristics, modifying constructs to achieve best fit. Reliability coefficients ranged from 0.42 to 0.82 for all sub-constructs. Goodness of fit indices for the final model ranged from: root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) 0.000-0.082; comparative fit index (CFI) 0.943-1.000; Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) 0.906-1.000; and standardized root mean squared error (SRMR) 0.006-0.130. In a sample of racially diverse infant and toddler child care teachers, final models of the laissez-faire, pressuring, and responsive constructs and the restrictive-diet quality sub-construct performed well. Overall model fit was poor for the indulgence construct, but good for solely its corresponding belief items.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara Carr
- Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Amanda L Thompson
- Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sara E Benjamin-Neelon
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Heather M Wasser
- Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Dianne S Ward
- Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Eagleton SG, Shriver LH, Buehler C, Wideman L, Leerkes EM. Longitudinal Associations Among Food Insecurity During Pregnancy, Parental Mental Health Symptoms, Controlling Feeding Styles, and Infant Food Responsiveness. J Nutr 2023; 152:2659-2668. [PMID: 36166350 PMCID: PMC9840003 DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxac225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research is needed to identify pathways by which household food insecurity (FI) contributes to parental controlling feeding styles and infant food responsiveness, 2 factors that play a role in shaping obesity risk across infancy and early childhood. OBJECTIVES This longitudinal study tested the hypothesis that prenatal FI would be positively associated with higher infant food responsiveness via greater parental mental health symptomatology and controlling feeding styles (pressuring, restrictive). METHODS Participants included a community sample of 170 birth parents and their infants participating in an ongoing longitudinal study. Parents self-reported household FI and mental health symptoms (depression and anxiety) during pregnancy. Postnatally, parents reported their mental health symptoms, their use of controlling feeding styles, and infant food responsiveness. Path analyses with bias-corrected 95% bootstrapped CIs tested direct and indirect associations between prenatal FI and infant food responsiveness. RESULTS Prenatal FI was indirectly associated with higher infant food responsiveness via greater parental mental health symptomatology and pressuring to finish (b = 0.01; 95% CI: 0.001, 0.025). Prenatal FI was associated with greater parental mental health symptomatology across the peripartum period (β = 0.54; P < 0.001), which in turn was associated with more pressuring to finish at 2 months pospartum (β = 0.29; P = 0.01) and higher infant food responsiveness at 6 months (β = 0.17; P = 0.04). There were no direct effects of prenatal FI on controlling feedings styles or infant food responsiveness. CONCLUSIONS Our findings point to parental mental health as a potential pathway by which FI may be associated with obesity-promoting parental feeding styles and infant appetitive behaviors. In addition to ensuring reliable access to enough quality food during pregnancy, multipronged assistance that promotes emotional well-being during the peripartum period and clinical guidance on noncontrolling feeding styles could benefit parent and infant health and well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally G Eagleton
- Human Development and Family Studies, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - Lenka H Shriver
- Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - Cheryl Buehler
- Human Development and Family Studies, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - Laurie Wideman
- Department of Kinesiology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - Esther M Leerkes
- Human Development and Family Studies, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
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Nieri T, Zimmer A, Vaca JM, Tovar A, Cheney A. A Systematic Review of Research on Non-Maternal Caregivers' Feeding of Children 0-3 Years. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:14463. [PMID: 36361342 PMCID: PMC9658782 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192114463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Although people other than mothers participate in feeding, few interventions include non-maternal caregivers, especially those promoting healthy development among children aged 0-3 years. Understanding the role and influence of non-maternal caregivers is essential for the development and effectiveness of early childhood feeding interventions; yet, no reviews have examined non-maternal caregivers of children aged 0-3 years. This study assessed what is known about non-maternal caregivers' feeding of children aged 0-3. We systematically reviewed 38 empirical quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies, cataloged in PubMed and Web of Science and published between 1/2000-6/2021. The studies showed that non-maternal caregivers engage in child feeding and their attitudes and behaviors affect child outcomes. Like mothers, non-maternal caregivers vary in the extent to which their knowledge and attitudes support recommended feeding practices and the extent to which they exhibit responsive feeding styles and practices. Children of broad ages were included in the studies; future research should include infant/toddler-only samples to allow for better assessment of age-specific feeding constructs. The studies also revealed issues specific to non-maternal caregivers that are unlikely to be addressed in interventions developed for mothers. Thus, the review highlighted features of non-maternal caregiving of children 0-3 years that could be addressed to support feeding and child outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya Nieri
- Department of Sociology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Arianna Zimmer
- Center for Health Disparities Research, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Jai Mica Vaca
- Department of Justice Studies, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA 95192, USA
| | - Alison Tovar
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Ann Cheney
- Department of Social Medicine, Population and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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Khalsa AS, Copeland KA, Kharofa RY, Geraghty SR, Dewitt TG, Woo JG. The Longitudinal Relation between Infant Feeding Styles and Growth Trajectories among Families from Low-Income Households. J Nutr 2022; 152:2015-2022. [PMID: 35641195 DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxac123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parental feeding styles, including the emotional environment parents create to modify a child's eating behaviors, have been associated with measures of adiposity in cross-sectional studies. The longitudinal relation between parental feeding styles in early infancy and adiposity in later infancy/toddlerhood are scant and have shown mixed results, particularly in families from low-income households. OBJECTIVES This study examined the relation between parental feeding styles and infant BMI z-score trajectories between 6 and 18 mo in families from low-income households. METHODS Parent-infant dyads were recruited during the infant's 6-, 9-, or 12-mo well-child visit. Feeding styles were assessed using the Infant Feeding Style Questionnaire (IFSQ). Infant anthropometrics from birth through 18 mo were extracted from the electronic medical record. BMI z-score slopes were estimated for each infant between 0-6 mo and 6-18 mo. Associations between feeding styles and BMI z-score slopes were examined using mixed models controlling for demographic, clinical, and feeding covariates. RESULTS The final analytic sample included 198 dyads (69% Black; median infant age: 9.0 mo; IQR: 6.8-10.3 mo). The predominant parent feeding styles included the following: laissez-faire (30%), restrictive (28%), responsive (23%), and pressuring (19%). In adjusted models, the predominant feeding style at enrollment was associated with the BMI z-score slope between 6 and 18 mo, with the responsive feeding style exhibiting a steeper increase in BMI z-score than other feeding styles. Infant feeding style was not associated with BMI z-score slope between birth and 6 mo of age. Infants of parents who exhibited restrictive feeding styles were more likely to have a BMI ≥85th percentile at their last measurement. CONCLUSIONS The predominant parent feeding style during infancy in a low-income population was associated with infant BMI z-score between 6 and 18 mo of age, but not earlier. Further studies are needed to better understand how predictive factors collectively contribute to BMI increase in the first 2 y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amrik Singh Khalsa
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH.,Division of Primary Care Pediatrics and Center for Child Health Equity and Outcomes Research, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH.,Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
| | - Kristen A Copeland
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Roohi Y Kharofa
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH.,Heart Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Sheela R Geraghty
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Thomas G Dewitt
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Jessica G Woo
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH.,Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
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