Parental feeding practices in relation to maternal education and childhood obesity

Abstract

Parental beliefs, attitudes, and feeding practices play a vital role in childhood obesity. This study aimed to assess parental perceptions, concerns about weight, feeding practices using the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ), and its association with body mass index (BMI) and maternal education in elementary school children. Participants aged 6-10 years (n = 169) were recruited and anthropometric measurements were obtained. Pearson’s correlation and hierarchical linear regression analysis were used to examine the association between BMI z-score and the seven factors of the CFQ. The BMI z-score was significantly associated with parental perceived child weight and concern about child weight. The BMI z-score had a significant negative association with parents pressuring children to eat. Parents of obese children reported significantly higher (p < 0.001) levels of perceived child weight (Β = 0.312) and concern (Β = 0.320) about their child’s weight compared to the normal weight and overweight groups. Parents of overweight children showed considerably less (Β = -0.224; p < 0.005) pressuring towards their children to eat as compared to parents of normal weight children. Additionally, we found that the parental feeding practice (pressure to eat) was only dependent upon maternal education. The path analysis indicates that maternal education has a mediating effect on BMI z-score and pressure to eat is related to BMI z-score through maternal education. The findings demonstrate the association between the parents’ perceptions, concerns, and pressure to eat with BMI z-score of elementary school-aged children. Only the parental feeding practice pressure to eat was dependent upon the maternal education.