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Title: Feeding practices of low-income mothers: How do they compare to current recommendations

Author
item POWER, THOMAS - Washington State University
item HUGHES, SHERYL - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item GOODELL, L - North Carolina State University
item JOHNSON, SUSAN - University Of Colorado
item DURAN, ANDREA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item WILLIAMS, KIMBERLY - University Of Colorado
item BECK, ASHLEY - Washington State University
item FRANKEL, LESLIE - University Of Houston

Submitted to: International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/30/2015
Publication Date: 3/7/2015
Citation: Power, T.G., Hughes, S.O., Goodell, L.S., Johnson, S.L., Duran, A.J., Williams, K., Beck, A.D., Frankel, L.A. 2015. Feeding practices of low-income mothers: How do they compare to current recommendations. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 12:34.

Interpretive Summary: Despite the fact that there appears to be a consensus in the pediatric literature on feeding practices associated with better child health outcomes, there is a dearth of observational studies examining what mothers actually do with their young children during feeding. We observed low-income mothers and their preschoolers during dinner in their homes. What we observed did not coincide with current pediatric recommendations for feeding young children. Many mothers spent considerable time encouraging their child to eat often in spite of the child's insistence that he or she was finished. Mothers talked little about food and characteristics and rarely asked the children about their feelings of hunger and fullness. Some ethnic differences were seen. Suggestions for possible obesity prevention curriculum are discussed.

Technical Abstract: Despite a growing consensus on the feeding practices associated with healthy eating patterns, few observational studies of maternal feeding practices with young children have been conducted, especially in low-income populations. The aim of this study was to provide such data on a low income sample to determine the degree to which observed maternal feeding practices compare with current recommendations. Eighty low-income mothers and their preschool children were videotaped at dinner in their homes. Mothers were chosen from a larger study to create a 2 X 2 X 2 design: maternal ethnicity (African American vs. Latina) by child gender by child weight status (healthy weight vs. overweight/obese). Observers coded videotapes for a range of maternal feeding strategies and other behaviors. Many mothers spent considerable time encouraging eating—often in spite of the child's insistence that he or she was finished. Mothers talked little about food characteristics, rarely referred to feelings of hunger and fullness, and made more attempts to enforce table manners than to teach eating skills. Latina mothers showed higher levels of teaching eating skills and encouraging their children to eat; African American mothers showed higher levels of enforcing table manners and getting children to clear their plates. Mothers of boys used more unelaborated commands and less questions/suggestions than mothers of girls. Finally, compared to mothers of overweight/obese children, mothers of healthy weight children showed higher levels of encouraging eating and lower levels of discouraging eating. Most of the mothers in this study did not engage in feeding practices that are consistent with current recommendations. They did this, despite the fact that they knew they were being observed. These results should be used to inform future research about the motivations behind mothers' feeding practices and the development of interventions by helping identify areas in greatest need of change.