About this srcd poster session

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Panel information
Panel 10. Health, Growth, Injury

Abstract

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The early years of life between birth and age 5 are a critical time in relation to nutrition and feeding practices during which the development of self-regulation around food, food acceptance, and positive feeding relationships between children and their caregivers occur (Birch et al., 2007). Caregiver feeding practices such as mindful feeding, which focuses on the relationship between parent and child in the feeding context, emphasizes a caregiver’s level of awareness of their responsive and non-responsive feeding practices (Goodman et al., 2020). This present-centered awareness can allow parents to respond to their child’s needs during mealtime in a way that better aligns with their feeding goals (Emley et al., 2017). Better understanding of these feeding practices over time and among diverse populations is needed, however, to date, the research examining practices associated with mindful feeding have focused mainly on populations of white, middle-income women with at least some college education.
This study utilized data gathered from the WIC Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Study II, a national study following caregivers enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children around the time of their child’s birth through the next six years regardless of continued enrollment in WIC services. This study sought to examine one specific aspect of mindful feeding practices, beliefs and practices associated with caregiver acceptance of hunger and fullness cues among low income and diverse populations. Beliefs regarding acceptance hunger and fullness were assessed by combining five items from the 3-month wave of data that were measured using a 5-point Likert scale with higher scores equating to higher levels of acceptance of hunger or fullness in infants. Likewise, practices related to acceptance of hunger and fullness combined six items from the 24-month wave of data, also measured on a 5-point Likert scale, assessing caregiver level of control in feeding. We examined these beliefs and practices across these time points in early childhood and their association with child diet outcomes including fruit and vegetable intake at 36 months as well as child BMI z-score at 60 months of age.
A correlation analysis revealed a significant association between caregiver beliefs regarding acceptance of hunger and fullness cues at 3 months of age and practices related to acceptance of hunger and fullness cues at 24 months of age. Additionally, there were significant associations between caregiver practices at 24 months and several outcome variables including vegetable intake at 36 months and BMI z-score at 60 months (see Table 1). In a series of three combined regression models predicting the mediating effect of feeding practices at 24 months on fruit intake at 36 months, vegetable intake at 36 months and BMI z-score at 60 months, a significant indirect effect was only found for the outcome of BMI z-score for children at 60 months of age (path a*b, b=.05, SE= .02, p=.05, CI=.02,.09) (See Table 2).
This study contributes to the limited research that exists on constructs of mindful feeding practices overall, but particularly among diverse and low-income communities.

Author information

Author	Role
Kristen L. Davis, Syracuse University	Presenting author
Rachel Razza, Syracuse University	Non-presenting author
Lynn Brann, Syracuse University	Non-presenting author

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