Association between maternal nonresponsive feeding practice and child’s eating behavior and weight status: children aged 1 to 6 years

The purposes of this study are to investigate the prevalence of nonresponsive feeding practice (NRFP) and child’s eating behavior (CEB) and to explore the hypothetical association between child’s weight status, NRFP and CEB for 1- to 6-year-old children. In this study, 2423 caregivers of 1- to 6-year-old children are from the Nanjing Maternal and Child Health Hospital who completed the self-report questionnaires about their NRFP and CEB as well as their children’s sociodemographic data. Chi-square test and multiple regression analyses were used to examine the correlation between child’s weight status and NRFP and CEB. The total prevalence of overweight and obesity was 15.2 and 7.3%, respectively. High prevalence of CEB problems and NRFP was detected at 2- and 5-year-old children. Moreover, maternal NRFP was significantly positively associated with CEB. The regression and correlation analysis revealed CEB and maternal NRFP are closely associated with BMI. For instance, refusing new food (OR = 3.57, 95%CI, 1.37–9.33, 1.5-year-old) and restriction (OR = 3.01, 95%CI, 1.34–6.76) are likely to be associated with underweight. Preferring junk food (OR = 4.892, 95%CI, 1.71–14.01, 1-year-old) and inattention (OR = 2.24, 95%CI, 1.16–4.35, 1-year-old) are prone to be overweight and obese, and pressure (OR = 0.23, 95%CI, 0.06–0.91, 1-year-old) is less likely to be associated with underweight.

Conclusion: The findings provide strong evidence for the correlation between NRFR and CEB, and this indicates that prevention and intervention of unhealthy weight should start in early life. However, further research is necessary to gain an understanding of the impact of NRFP on CEB and weight.