Disrupted mealtime interactions are associated with stress and internalizing symptoms in caregivers of school-age children

ABSTRACT Caregivers of children with feeding problems (FP) experience more stress and mental health concerns. This study examines the relationship between disruptive mealtime interactions and symptoms of FP with caregiver stress and mental health concerns. A community sample of 198 caregivers of school-age children completed an online survey about child mealtime problems, caregiver perceptions of the severity of their child’s FP, disrupted mealtime interactions severity, caregiver stress, and caregiver depression and anxiety (i.e., internalizing symptoms). Two-thirds of caregivers reported at least 1 mealtime problem. Child picky eating was commonly reported and occurred before and after age 6. Increase in disrupted mealtime interactions and mealtime problem severity was associated with higher ratings of caregiver stress and increased internalizing symptoms. Feeding is an interactive activity between caregivers and children. Caregiver’s perception of FP is important as negative attributions about child feeding behaviors lead to increased risks of caregiver mental health problems. Integrative care providers and psychologists are encouraged to evaluate caregivers’ feeding concerns in addition to traditional objective measures of child nutrition (e.g., growth charts), as the interactions between caregiver stress, internalizing symptoms, and child FP result in poor outcomes.