Is Parent Diet Quality Related to Child Diet Quality? A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study Among Low-Income Families from Indiana

Background

Evidence has shown inconclusive relationships between parent and child diets, including diet quality, despite an expected link.

Objective

The objective of this pilot study was to determine whether parent diet quality predicts child diet quality among low-income families in Indiana, United States.

Study Design, Settings, Participants

Baseline data collected from April 2023 to January 2024 from 49 paired parents 26-75 years and their children 5-17 years (one parent and one child) from low-income households throughout Indiana was utilized for this secondary analysis.

Measurable Outcome/Analysis

The parent completed the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module and parent and child each completed one to four 24-hour dietary recalls. The Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015) for both parent and child were derived using the simple method for individuals. Their associations were assessed via Pearson correlation (unadjusted) as well as multiple linear regression models with child HEI as the dependent variable, adjusted for food security status; child's sex, ethnicity, and age; and parent's age and smoking status.

Results

The HEI-2015 total scores indicated poor dietary quality for parents and children (50.9±11.6 and 51.5±12.1, respectively). The parent-child correlations for HEI-2015 that were statistically significant (p < 0.05) were weak to moderate (r=0.4 for total HEI, total fruits, greens and beans, and saturated fats; r=0.3 for whole fruits, total vegetables, and fatty acids; and r=0.5 for whole grains). When controlling for covariates, parent diet quality was not significantly related to child diet quality for the total HEI-2015 score but was significantly related for components such that an increase in one HEI point in the parent score, on average, was related to a small increase of 0.4 points for greens and beans (p=0.01), whole grains (p=0.004), and saturated fats (p=0.01); and 0.3 points for fatty acids (p=0.02) in the child scores.

Conclusions

A weak-moderate relationship existed between parent-child diets for several dietary quality components. Factors other than parental dietary quality may potentially play a role in child dietary quality among low-income households.

Funding

NIFA