Parent–Child Interaction Therapy Supports Healthy Eating Behavior in Child Welfare-Involved Children

Emma R. Lyons (), Akhila K. Nekkanti, Beverly W. Funderburk and Elizabeth A. Skowron
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Emma R. Lyons: Pediatric Mental Health Institute, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
Akhila K. Nekkanti: Center for Innovation and Research on Choice-Filled Lives, Choice-Filled Lives, Inc., Atlanta, GA 30305, USA
Beverly W. Funderburk: Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
Elizabeth A. Skowron: Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 17, 1-13

Abstract: Objective: We tested the efficacy of standard Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), a live-coached, behavioral parent-training program, for modifying problematic eating behaviors in a larger effectiveness trial of PCIT for children involved in the child welfare system. Method: Children ages 3–7 years and their parents were randomly assigned to PCIT intervention ( n = 120) or services as the usual control (SAU; n = 84) groups in a randomized clinical trial. Children’s eating behaviors were assessed pre- and post-intervention via the Child Eating Behaviors Questionnaire (CEBQ). Intention-to-treat analyses were conducted, followed by per-protocol analyses, on treatment-engaging families only. Results: PCIT led to reductions in child welfare-involved children’s food responsiveness, speed of food consumption, and tendency to engage in emotional overeating relative to children in the services-as-usual control condition. Standard PCIT may be an effective intervention to promote healthy child eating behaviors in families involved with child welfare, even when food-related behaviors are not directly targeted by the intervention. Public Health Significance: This clinical trial provides evidence that child welfare-involved children who received PCIT experienced significant reductions in maladaptive eating-related behaviors, namely food responsiveness, emotional overeating, and speed of eating. These findings were observed in relation to children in a comparison control group who had access to child welfare services-as-usual.

Keywords: PCIT; parenting; child eating behaviors; obesity prevention; food insecurity; adverse childhood experiences (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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