J Acad Nutr Diet. 2023 Sep 1:S2212-2672(23)01494-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2023.08.131. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Research on feeding in early childhood has focused primarily on parent-child dyadic interactions, despite parents enacting these practices within the complex dynamic of the family system.
OBJECTIVE: Using a sibling design, this study aimed to assess how parents may adapt their food parenting practices for siblings in response to differences in their eating behaviours.
DESIGN: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between October and December 2022.
PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: Data were collected from parents (97.5% females) in Australia with two children aged 2 to 5 years (n=336 parents, n=672 children).
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Survey items were completed for each sibling, and included four subscales of the Children’s Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) and seven subscales of the Feeding Practices and Structure Questionnaire-28 (FPSQ-28).
STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Multiple linear regression models examined associations between within-sibling pair differences in child eating behaviours and food parenting practices, adjusting for differences in child body mass index z-score (BMIz), age, gender, and early feeding method.
RESULTS: Within-sibling pair differences in eating behaviours were associated with differences in some food parenting practices. For the fussier sibling, parents reported using more control-based practices, including persuasive feeding, reward for eating, and reward for behaviour, and less of the structure-based practice, family meal settings (ps<0.001). Similar directions of associations were found for persuasive feeding, reward for eating, and family meal settings with siblings who were slower eaters or more satiety responsive (ps<0.007); however, no significant differences in reward for behaviour were observed in relation to sibling differences in these eating behaviours. For the more food responsive sibling, parents reported using more control-based practices, including reward for behaviour and overt restriction (ps<0.002).
CONCLUSIONS: Within families, parents may adapt certain practices in response to differences in their children’s eating behaviours. Interventions promoting responsive feeding should be designed to acknowledge the integral role of siblings in shaping parents’ feeding decisions.
PMID:37661083 | DOI:10.1016/j.jand.2023.08.131
