Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #167332
Title: THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CAREGIVER'S FEEDING STYLES QUESTIONNAIRE

Author
item HUGHES, SHERYL - BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MED
item POWER, THOMAS - WASHINGTON STAT UNIV
item Fisher, Jennifer
item MUELLER, STEPHEN - BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MED
item Nicklas, Theresa

Submitted to: Journal Of The American Dietetic Association
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/2003
Publication Date: 9/1/2003
Citation: Hughes, S., Power, T., Fisher, J., Mueller, S., Nicklas, T. 2003. The development of the caregiver's feeding styles questionnaire. Journal Of The American Dietetic Association. 103(9):A-18.

Interpretive Summary: AN INTERPRETIVE SUMMARY IS NOT REQUIRED.

Technical Abstract: Existing measures of child feeding focus on specific practices; the extent to which general parenting represents a general feeding style is not well documented. Using existing literature, de-centering techniques, and cognitive interviewing, an instrument was developed characterizing authoritative, authoritarian, indulgent, and uninvolved feeding styles in caregivers of low-income Hispanic (H) and African-American (AA) preschool children. Two hundred thirty-one caregivers (130 H; 101 AA) in Head Start centers in Houston, Texas filled out questionnaires on child feeding practices and parenting styles. Exploratory factor analyses on the Caregiver's Feeding Styles Questionnaire (CFSQ) resulted in measures of caregivers' demandingness and responsiveness. Based on these two measures, caregivers were assigned to one of four feeding styles: authoritarian, n = 84; authoritative, n = 34; indulgent, n = 80; and uninvolved, n = 33. Test-retest correlations (7-14 days) were .85 demandingness and .82 responsiveness. Convergent validity was evaluated by relating the CFSQ to measures of general parenting and authoritarian feeding. Authoritarian feeding styles were significantly associated with higher levels of restrictive feeding, parents' use of pressure to eat, inconsistency, and physical punishment. Authoritative feeding styles were significantly associated with higher levels of monitoring, nurturing, discipline, organization, and reasoning. Both indulgent and uninvolved parents were significantly lower on restrictive behavior and parents' use of pressure to eat; however, uninvolved parents showed less nurturance and organization, and were less likely to follow through on discipline. These data provide preliminary psychometric support for the CFSQ as a new measure of parenting style in the domain of child feeding.