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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Maternal and paternal feeding practices: links with child eating behaviors and effects of couples' concordant/discordant practices

subject

description

International audience; Past research has mainly focused on mothers' feeding practices. This study aimed to study (1) gender differences in parental feeding practices, and (2) the impact of couples' concordant/discordant food parenting practices on child eating behaviors. To do so, both parents of 105 French children aged 2.01-6.51 years (51.4% boys, Mage= 3.88 years, SD=1.40) filled in a survey with items from validated questionnaires. Results showed that fathers and mothers had similar perceptions about their child's eating behaviors (Pearson correlations between 0.34 and 0.78; M=0.60), despite fathers taking significantly fewer meals with their child than mothers. Fathers reported using significantly more pressure to eat and food as reward than mothers. Regression analyses showed that child eating behaviors were predicted by both maternal and paternal practices and styles. One interaction effect was observed: in households where both parents used higher levels of pressure to eat, the child showed a significantly lower food enjoyment than expected if the effects were additive. Our findings underline the importance of studying the role of both parents in child feeding research and that both mothers and fathers should avoid using coercive feeding practices. These results could stimulate new interventions and recommendations addressed to both parents.