Low-income mothers' feeding goals predict observed home mealtime and child feeding practices.
M H Pesch, A L Miller, D P Appugliese and 3 others
PMID 27558923WHAT IT FOUND
Low-income mothers who wanted to restrict junk food were more often observed having their child always eat at a table.
Mothers who wanted more fruit or vegetable intake were more often observed promoting vegetables. Autonomy and obesity-prevention goals did not match observed practices.
Key findings
01The goal of restricting junk food was associated with the child always eating at the table.
02The goal of promoting fruit or vegetable intake was associated with the mother promoting vegetables.
03The goals of promoting autonomy around eating and preventing obesity were not associated with any home mealtime or feeding practice.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The sample was English speaking, low-income, mostly white non-Hispanic, and from one geographical area, so the results may not generalise. The study measured only some mealtime and laboratory practices, so other feeding behaviours may have been missed. Some families did not complete all video recorded mealtimes or the laboratory task, so missing data may have affected results. The laboratory task was videotaped, so mothers may have behaved differently because they were being recorded. The study reports associations, so it does not show that feeding goals caused practices.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that helping mothers set feeding goals will change home mealtimes. The study observed associations only, and two goals did not match practices.