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Findings From a Population-Based Sample

Myles S. Faith, PhD; Stanley Heshka, PhD; Kathleen L. Keller, PhD; Bettylou Sherry, PhD, RD; Patty E. Matz, PhD; Angelo Pietrobelli, MD; David B. Allison, PhD

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2003;157:926-932.

Background  Certain mother-child feeding patterns (MCFPs) may promote childhood obesity and/or disordered eating.

Objectives  To assess the demographic correlates of MCFPs and to test whether differences in MCFPs are associated with child body mass index (BMI; calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) z scores in a population-based study.

Design  A secondary analysis of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth main and child cohorts was conducted on more than 1000 Hispanic, African American, and non-Hispanic/non–African American children, aged 3 to 6 years. The MCFPs were measured by means of 3 interview questions probing mother-allotted child food choice, child compliance during meals, and child obedience during meals.

Results  Mothers of non-Hispanic/non–African American children allotted greater food choice than mothers of African American or Hispanic children. Maternal BMI and other demographic measures were unrelated to MCFPs. The lowest levels of mother-allotted child food choice and child eating compliance were associated with reduced child BMI, with mean BMI z scores of -0.36 and -0.41, respectively. Effect sizes were small, however, and MCFPs did not discriminate children who were overweight or at risk for being overweight from children who were not (P>.05).

Conclusions  Feeding strategies providing the least child food choice were associated with reduced child BMI. However, MCFPs did not relate to child overweight status.

From the Weight and Eating Disorders Program, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Dr Faith); the New York Obesity Research Center, St Luke's–Roosevelt Hospital Center, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY (Drs Heshka and Keller); the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga (Dr Sherry); Department of Psychiatry, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY (Dr Matz); the Pediatric Unit, Verona University Medical School, Verona, Italy (Dr Pietrobelli); and the Department of Biostatistics and Center for Research on Clinical Nutrition, University of Alabama at Birmingham (Dr Allison).

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