Food Parenting: a Selective Review of Current Measurement and an Empirical Examination to Inform Future Measurement

Overview

Journal Child Obes

Publisher Mary Ann Liebert

Specialties Endocrinology
Pediatrics

Date 2013 Aug 16

PMID 23944922

Citations 23

Authors

Dara R Musher-Eizenman

Allison Kiefner

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Interactions between parents and children in regard to food are an important part of the development of food preferences and intake patterns for children. The measurement of this complex and multidimensional construct is very challenging.

Methods: This article examines the current status of measurement in this domain in a selective review, considers qualitative input from parents and adolescents in an empirical examination of the topic, and makes concrete recommendations for the future.

Results: Qualitatively, there were important differences between what the adolescents reported that their parents did to impact their eating habits, what parents of younger children report they currently do, and what researchers typically measure in research on parental feeding practices.

Conclusions: On the basis of these empirical findings and our review of the literature, we recommend that food parenting be measured on three levels: Feeding styles (e.g., authoritative), food parenting practices (e.g., restriction), and specific feeding behaviors (e.g., putting food out of the child's reach). Specific recommendations for future study are given for each level of measurement.

Citing Articles

Association between snack parenting style and dental caries status of children aged 7-8 years: a sequential mixed method approach.

Selvaraj Y, GeethaPriya P, Asokan S, Viswanath S Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 2025; .

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Influence of family parenting style on the formation of eating behaviors and habits in preschool children: The mediating role of quality of life and nutritional knowledge.

Ningning W, Wenguang C PLoS One. 2023; 18(7):e0288878.

PMID: 37471435 PMC: 10358991. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288878.

Assessing the Validity and Reliability of a French Version of the Child Feeding Questionnaire among Black Mothers Living in Ottawa (Canada).

Bodnaruc A, Kengneson C, Blanchet R, Giroux I Behav Sci (Basel). 2023; 13(6).

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Evaluation of a child food reward task and its association with maternal feeding practices.

Toh J, Quah P, Wong C, Yuan W, Aris I, McCrickerd K PLoS One. 2021; 16(7):e0254773.

PMID: 34288967 PMC: 8294516. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254773.

A positive deviance-based qualitative study of stress, coping, and feeding practices among low-income, Hispanic mothers whose children do versus do not meet guidelines for fruit and vegetable intake.

Shonkoff E, Folta S, Fitopoulos T, Ramirez C, Bluthenthal R, Pentz M Health Educ Res. 2020; 35(6):584-604.

PMID: 33367771 PMC: 8463094. DOI: 10.1093/her/cyaa037.

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