Longitudinal influence of mother’s child-feeding practices on adiposity in children

ObjectiveParental child-feeding practices are potentially significant determinants of body weight in youth. To date, research has focused on white middle class mother-child dyads. This study examines the longitudinal influences of child-feeding practices with time on total fat mass in white and African American boys and girls.Study designSeventy-four white children (49 girls, 25 boys) and 47 African American children (25 girls, 22 boys; mean age at baseline, 11.0 years) and their mothers participated in this study. Child-feeding practices were measured with the Child Feeding Questionnaire. Total fat mass was measured by means of Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry on a yearly basis. The average follow-up period was 2.7 years.ResultsPressure to eat and concern for the child’s weight in white participants and restriction and concern for the child’s weight in African American participants were significantly related to total fat mass at baseline. Concern for the child’s weight was negatively related to the change of total fat mass with time in white participants. No longitudinal effects of child feeding practices on the change of total fat mass were found in African American participants.ConclusionParental concern for weight is a predictor of change in total fat mass with time in white children, but not African American children.