Parent reports of eating behaviour and feeding practices: effects of parent and child sex

IF 3.8 2区医学 Q1 BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES

Appetite Pub Date : 2025-09-01 DOI:10.1016/j.appet.2025.108281

Mar Lozano-Casanova , Katie L. Edwards , Abigail Pickard , Emma Haycraft , Alice R. Kininmonth , Miguel Richart-Martinez , Isabel Sospedra , Claire Farrow , Jackie Blissett

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Research on parental feeding practices has focused on mothers, often overlooking fathers' perspectives and the influence of child sex. This study examined (1) differences between fathers' and mothers' own eating behaviours, their use of feeding practices, and perceptions of their children's eating behaviours, and (2) the role of child sex in these perceptions and practices. Parents (N = 784; 145 fathers and 639 mothers) of preschoolers (3–5 years, 51.3 % female) from the UK completed an online survey assessing their eating behaviours and feeding practices, and their child's eating behaviours. There were significant sex differences in parents' eating behaviours, with mothers reporting more emotional overeating, hunger, satiety responsiveness, and slowness in eating. Mothers and fathers did not differ in their reports of children's eating behaviours. Girls were reported to have higher levels of satiety responsiveness than boys. When exploring the interaction of parent and child sex in reports of eating behaviour, fathers reported that girls had more desire to drink. Mothers and fathers differed in their reported use of some feeding practices. Both mothers and fathers reported greater use of food for emotion regulation with girls than boys. Fathers used more encouragement of balance and variety with boys. These findings highlight distinct patterns in feeding practices and eating behaviours, influenced by both parent and child sex, suggesting that girls may be at greater risk of receiving feeding practices that contribute to the development of emotional eating. These results emphasize the need to consider the role of sex in future research and the development of tailored feeding guidance.

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父母关于饮食行为和喂养方法的报告：父母和儿童性别的影响。

关于父母喂养方式的研究主要集中在母亲身上，往往忽视了父亲的观点和儿童性别的影响。本研究考察了(1)父亲和母亲自己的饮食行为、喂养方法的使用以及对孩子饮食行为的看法之间的差异，以及(2)儿童性别在这些看法和做法中的作用。来自英国的学龄前儿童（3-5岁，51.3%为女性）的父母（N=784； 145名父亲和639名母亲）完成了一项在线调查，评估他们的饮食行为和喂养方式，以及他们孩子的饮食行为。父母的饮食行为存在显著的性别差异，母亲报告更多的情绪性暴饮暴食、饥饿、饱腹反应和进食缓慢。母亲和父亲对孩子饮食行为的报告没有差异。据报道，女孩比男孩有更高的饱腹感反应水平。在研究饮食行为报告中父母和孩子性别的相互作用时，父亲们报告说女孩更想喝酒。据报道，母亲和父亲在使用一些喂养方法方面存在差异。母亲和父亲都报告说，与男孩相比，女孩更多地使用食物来调节情绪。父亲们更多地鼓励男孩保持平衡和多样化。这些发现突出了喂养方法和饮食行为的独特模式，受到父母和儿童性别的影响，表明女孩可能更容易接受导致情绪性饮食发展的喂养方法。这些结果强调，在未来的研究和量身定制的喂养指导的发展中，需要考虑性别的作用。

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来源期刊

Appetite 医学-行为科学

CiteScore

9.10

自引率

11.10%

发文量

566

审稿时长

13.4 weeks

期刊介绍： Appetite is an international research journal specializing in cultural, social, psychological, sensory and physiological influences on the selection and intake of foods and drinks. It covers normal and disordered eating and drinking and welcomes studies of both human and non-human animal behaviour toward food. Appetite publishes research reports, reviews and commentaries. Thematic special issues appear regularly. From time to time the journal carries abstracts from professional meetings. Submissions to Appetite are expected to be based primarily on observations directly related to the selection and intake of foods and drinks; papers that are primarily focused on topics such as nutrition or obesity will not be considered unless they specifically make a novel scientific contribution to the understanding of appetite in line with the journal's aims and scope.