Abstract
Background: Prior research has shown associations between controlling food parenting practices (e.g., pressure-to-eat, restriction) and factors that increase risk for cardiovascular disease in children (e.g., low diet quality, obesity). This study aimed to examine associations between real-time parental stress and depressed mood, food parenting practices, and child eating behaviors in a longitudinal cohort study. Methods: Children ages 5–9 years and their families (n = 631) from six racial/ethnic groups (African American, Hispanic, Hmong, Native American, Somali/Ethiopian, White) were recruited for this study through primary care clinics in a large metromolitan area in the US (Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN) in 2016–2019. Ecological momentary assessment was carried out over seven days with parents at two time points, 18 months apart. Adjusted associations between morning stress and depressed mood of parents on food parenting practices and child eating behaviors at the evening meal were examined. Interactions tested whether food security, race/ethnicity and child sex moderated associations. Results: High levels of parental stress and depressed mood experienced earlier in the day were associated with controlling food parenting practices and child food fussiness at dinner the same night. Results were dependent on food security status, race/ethnicity, and child sex. Conclusions: Health care professionals may want to consider, or continue, screening parents for stress, depression, and food insecurity during well-child visits and discuss the influence these factors may have on food parenting practices and child eating behaviors. Future research should use real-time interventions such as ecological momentary intervention to reduce parental stress and depressed mood to promote healthy food parenting practices and child eating behaviors.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | 86 |
| Journal | International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:JB is a Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Minnesota; the Principal Investigator of the Family Matters study; the Director of the Healthy Eating and Activity across the Lifespan (HEAL) Center; and Director of the Center for Women’s Health Research. AT is a Research Manager over the Family Matters study in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Minnesota and the Administrative Director of the Healthy Eating and Activity across the Lifespan (HEAL) Center. AF is an Assistant Professor in the Humphries School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. JdB is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Minnesota.
Funding Information:
Research is supported by grant number R01HL126171, R01HL156994 and R01HL160587 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (PI: Jerica Berge). Dr. de Brito’s research time was supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number K12HD055887. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute or the National Institutes of Health.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s).
Keywords
- Child eating behaviors
- Depressive symptoms
- Ecological momentary assessment
- Food insecurity
- Food parenting practices
- Stress
PubMed: MeSH publication types
- Journal Article
- Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
