Feeding practices and concerns as mediators between maternal mental health and eating behaviours in early childhood

IF 3.8 2区医学 Q1 BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES

Appetite Pub Date : 2025-10-10 DOI:10.1016/j.appet.2025.108340

Monica A. Lazarus , Beatrice Franzolini , Johan G. Eriksson , Mary F-F. Chong , Toh Jia Ying , Maria de Iorio , Michael J. Meaney , Keith M. Godfrey , Fabian Yap , Helen Chen , Yap Seng Chong , Michelle Z.L. Kee , Anna M. Fogel

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

The impact of maternal mental health on child eating beyond infancy is understudied. This study explores whether maternal feeding practices and concerns mediate the association between maternal depression and anxiety symptoms and eating behaviours at age three years.

Methods

Data from 409 mother-child dyads in the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes cohort were analysed. Maternal mental health was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, feeding practices and concerns with the Preschooler Feeding Questionnaire, and child eating behaviours with the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire. Structural equation modelling was used to test pathways.

Results

Depression symptoms in mothers showed direct and indirect links to child eating behaviours. For example, maternal depression symptoms were directly associated with enjoyment of food (B = 0.011, p = 0.015) and indirectly with food responsiveness (B = 0.004, p = 0.034) via use of food to calm the child. Anxiety symptoms, however, had only indirect associations with child eating behaviours through maternal feeding concerns, not practices. For example, maternal anxiety symptoms were indirectly linked with food responsiveness through perceived difficulty in feeding (B = −0.001, p = 0.011).

Conclusions

Depression and anxiety symptoms influence children's eating behaviours differently. Anxiety symptoms were linked with child eating behaviours only through maternal feeding concerns, whereas depression symptoms were linked with child eating behaviours both directly and indirectly via feeding to calm the child. As maternal anxiety symptoms are linked with more child eating concerns, the validity of mother-reported child eating behaviours requires consideration.

查看原文本刊更多论文

喂养做法和关注作为母亲心理健康和幼儿饮食行为之间的中介。

背景：母亲心理健康对婴儿期以后儿童饮食的影响尚未得到充分研究。本研究探讨母亲的喂养方式和关注是否介导母亲抑郁和焦虑症状与三岁时饮食行为之间的关联。方法：对新加坡健康结局队列中409对母子的数据进行分析。使用贝克抑郁量表- ii和状态-特质焦虑量表评估母亲的心理健康，使用学龄前儿童喂养问卷评估喂养做法和关注，使用儿童饮食行为问卷评估儿童饮食行为。采用结构方程模型对通路进行测试。结果：母亲的抑郁症状与孩子的饮食行为有直接或间接的联系。例如，母亲的抑郁症状与享受食物直接相关（B = 0.011, p = 0.015），通过使用食物来安抚孩子，与食物反应间接相关（B = 0.004, p = 0.034）。然而，焦虑症状与儿童的饮食行为只有间接的联系，这是由于母亲对喂养的担忧，而不是实践。例如，母亲的焦虑症状通过感知喂养困难与食物反应性间接相关（B = -0.001, p = 0.011）。结论：抑郁和焦虑症状对儿童饮食行为的影响不同。焦虑症状与儿童饮食行为之间的联系仅通过母亲的喂养问题，而抑郁症状与儿童饮食行为之间的联系则直接或间接地通过喂养来安抚儿童。由于母亲的焦虑症状与更多的儿童饮食问题有关，因此需要考虑母亲报告的儿童饮食行为的有效性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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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.