Parental perceptions of childhood feeding problems

Abstract

Previous research suggests that parental report of children’s feeding corresponds with their child’s nutritional intake (Cooke et al., 2006; Ekstein et al., 2010). The current study aimed to determine whether there is a relationship between parental report of children’s feeding problems and their child’s nutritional intake in a non-clinical population and, in addition, to establish whether parental anxiety (Cooke et al., 2003) can predict whether parental report of feeding problems correspond with the child’s intake. Sixty-one parents of children aged two to seven years completed the parent report measure; the Behavioural Paediatric Feeding Assessment Scale as well as a food diary detailing their child’s intake, which was analysed using CompEAT nutritional software. They also completed the anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Previous findings of an association between parent report of feeding problems and child’s intake (Cooke et al., 2006) were not replicated. However, an association was found between parents’ anxiety and their reports of feeding problems. Parental anxiety was also found to independently predict whether parent report of feeding problems matched the child’s intake. Findings highlight the importance of a multifactorial approach to understanding childhood feeding difficulties. This requires replication with a clinical sample.