Parental child‐feeding practices at 4 years of age are associated with dietary patterns of 7‐year‐olds

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundParental child‐feeding practices have been associated with child body mass index (BMI) and specific food group consumption; however, their role in the development of dietary patterns is less understood. We aim to study the association between parental child‐feeding practices at 4 years old and dietary patterns at 7 years that explain BMI z‐scores at age 10.MethodsParticipants were children from the Generation XXI birth cohort (n = 3272). Three patterns of feeding practices at 4 years were previously identified: ‘Perceived monitoring’, ‘Restriction’ and ‘Pressure to eat’. At 7 years, two dietary patterns were derived: ‘Energy‐dense foods’, higher consumption of energy‐dense foods and drinks and processed meats and lower consumption of vegetable soup (significantly associated with BMI z‐scores at 10 years) and ‘Fish‐based’, higher in fishery intake and lower in energy‐dense food intake. Associations were estimated by linear regression models, adjusted for potential confounders (mother's age, education and pre‐pregnancy BMI).ResultsGirls whose parents used more Restriction, Perceived monitoring and Pressure to eat at 4 years were less likely to follow the ‘Energy‐dense foods' dietary pattern at 7 years (β̂ = −0.082; 95% confidence intervals [CI]: −0.134; −0.029; β̂ = −0.093; 95% CI: −0.146; −0.039; β̂ = −0.079; 95% CI: −0.135; −0.04, respectively). In both sexes, children whose parents used more Restriction and Perceived monitoring at 4 years were more likely to follow the ‘Fish‐based’ dietary pattern at 7 years (girls: β̂ = 0.143; 95% CI: 0.077; 0.210; β̂ = 0.079; 95% CI: 0.011; 0.148; boys: β̂ = 0.157; 95% CI: 0.090; 0.224; β̂ = 0.104; 95% CI: 0.041; 0.168).ConclusionsChildren whose parents used more Restriction and Perceived monitoring at preschool age were more likely to follow healthier dietary patterns at age 7.