Parental Feeding Style and Pediatric Obesity in Latino Families

Associations between maternal and paternal feeding styles of infants in a racially diverse US birth cohort

BACKGROUND

Maternal feeding style has been associated with childhood obesity and has been the target of numerous interventions, but few studies included fathers.

OBJECTIVES

We assessed correlations and associations between maternal and paternal feeding style.

METHODS

We examined 202 mothers, fathers, and infants in Nurture, a racially diverse US cohort (2013-2017). Mothers and fathers completed the Infant Feeding Style Questionnaire when infants were 6 and 12 months. We examined unadjusted correlations using Spearman's Rho and adjusted associations using linear regressions.

RESULTS

All feeding styles were significantly correlated. After adjustment, maternal feeding style was associated with paternal feeding style at 6 and 12 months for responsive (ß 0.31; CI 0.18, 0.45; P ≤ 0.0001 and ß 0.67; CI 0.50, 0.84; P ≤ 0.0001), restrictive (ß 0.24; CI 0.09, 0.38; P = 0.001 and ß 0.44; CI 0.29, 0.59; P ≤ 0.0001), pressuring (ß 0.46; CI 0.34, 0.58; P ≤ 0.0001 and ß 0.51; CI 0.38, 065; P ≤ 0.0001), indulgent (ß 0.36; CI 0.20, 0.52; P ≤ 0.0001 and ß 0.57; CI 0.40, 0.73; P ≤ 0.0001), and laissez-faire (ß 0.39; CI 0.24, 0.55; P ≤ 0.0001 and ß 0.55; CI 0.37, 0.72; P ≤ 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal and paternal feeding styles were correlated. Associations held after adjustment, suggesting that mothers and fathers are in relative agreement in their reporting.