The Stability and Continuity of Maternally Reported and Observed Child Eating Behaviours and Feeding Practices across Early Childhood

Faye Powell, Claire Farrow, Caroline Meyer and Emma Haycraft
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Faye Powell: School of Psychology, Faculty of Creative Arts, Technologies & Science (CATS), University of Bedfordshire, University Square, Luton LU1 3JU, UK
Claire Farrow: Department of Psychology, School of Life & Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK
Caroline Meyer: WMG, International Manufacturing Centre, University of Warwick and Warwick Medical School, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
Emma Haycraft: School of Sport, Exercise & Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, UK

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 5, 1-14

Abstract: Given that many eating behaviours and food preferences develop early in childhood and track across childhood, adolescence and into adulthood, interest has grown in the developmental trajectory of these behaviours. The aims of this study were twofold. First, to explore whether maternal reports of child eating behaviour and feeding practices are validated by independent observations of these constructs. Second, to explore the continuity and stability of both maternally reported and independently observed child eating behaviours and maternal feeding practices during early childhood. Sixty-five mothers completed measures of their child’s eating behaviour and their own feeding practices and mother–child dyads were observed during a family mealtime at approximately 3 and 4 years of age. Maternal reports of their child’s eating behaviours were validated by independent observations, however maternally reported feeding practices were not validated by observations of these behaviours. Maternally reported and independently observed child eating behaviours and parental feeding practices remained stable and showed continuity between 3 and 4 years of age, with the exception of child difficulty to feed and maternal pressure to eat which both significantly decreased over time. Findings provide an insight into the validity of maternal reports of fussy eating behaviour and parental feeding practices and the developmental trajectory of these behaviours across early childhood.

Keywords: fussy eating; parental feeding practices; eating behaviour; child health; longitudinal research; observation; validation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:5:p:1017-:d:147511

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