Parental use of structure-based and autonomy support feeding practices with children with avid eating behaviour: an Ecological Momentary Assessment study

Background

Avid eating is an eating profile which confers greater risk for childhood obesity and can be challenging for parents to manage. Using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), we have previously shown that parental mood, feeding goals, and eating context determine parents’ use of coercive and indulgent feeding practices. Parents have also reported using specific noncoercive practices which provide structure (e.g., modelling) or autonomy support (e.g., nutrition education) when feeding children with avid eating behaviour more effectively. However, research is yet to examine the momentary predictors of these adaptive feeding practices.

Method

This EMA study aimed to examine parental mood, goals, and context as momentary predictors of parents’ use of noncoercive feeding practices during daily feeding interactions with preschool children (3–5-years-old) with an avid eating profile. Parents (N = 109; females n = 85) completed a 10-day EMA period which assessed momentary mood, feeding goals, feeding practices, and contextual factors.

Results

Parents were more likely to use structure-based feeding practices when feeding goals were health-related, the atmosphere was positive or neutral, or when parents initiated eating occasions. Parents were also more likely to use autonomy support feeding practices when their feeding goals were health-related or when parents initiated eating occasions. Encouraging children to eat or negotiating with children about how much or what food to eat was significantly associated with a negative atmosphere during eating occasions.

Conclusions

Together, our findings show that parental mood, feeding goals and context are momentary predictors of parents’ use of noncoercive feeding practices to manage children’s avid eating behaviour. Further work is needed to examine whether supporting parents to prioritise health-related goals at mealtimes increases the use of adaptive, noncoercive feeding practices.