Familial psychosocial risk classes and preschooler body mass index: The moderating effect of caregiver feeding style

Mildred A Horodynski; Holly E Brophy-Herb; Tiffany L Martoccio; Dawn Contreras; Karen Peterson; Mackenzie Shattuck; Neda Senehi; Zachary Favreau; Alison L Miller; Julie Sturza; Niko Kaciroti; Julie C Lumeng

doi:10.1016/j.appet.2017.12.025

Familial psychosocial risk classes and preschooler body mass index: The moderating effect of caregiver feeding style

Appetite. 2018 Apr 1:123:216-224. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2017.12.025. Epub 2017 Dec 26.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ College of Nursing, Michigan State University, 1355 Bogue St., East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Michigan State University, 552 W. Circle Dr, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
³ University of Maryland School of Social Work, 525 W. Redwood St, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
⁴ MSU Extension, Michigan State University, 108 Agriculture Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
⁵ Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
⁶ College of Nursing, Michigan State University, 1355 Bogue St., East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
⁷ Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, 300 N Ingalls St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USA; Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
⁸ Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School, E Hospital Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
⁹ Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, 300 N Ingalls St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USA; Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, 300 N Ingalls St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USA; Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School, E Hospital Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.

PMID: 29287633
DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2017.12.025

Abstract

Background: Early child weight gain predicts adolescent and adult obesity, underscoring the need to determine early risk factors affecting weight status and how risk factors might be mitigated. Socioeconomic status, food insecurity, caregiver depressive symptomology, single parenthood, and dysfunctional parenting each have been linked to early childhood weight status. However, the associations between these risk factors and children's weight status may be moderated by caregiver feeding styles (CFS). Examining modifiable factors buffering risk could provide key information to guide early obesity intervention efforts.

Methods: This analysis used baseline data from the Growing Healthy project that recruited caregivers/child dyads (N = 626) from Michigan Head Start programs. Caregivers were primarily non-Hispanic white (62%) and African American (30%). After using latent class analysis to identify classes of familial psychosocial risk, CFS was tested as a moderator of the association between familial psychosocial risk class and child body mass index (BMI) z-score.

Results: Latent class analysis identified three familial psychosocial risk classes: (1) poor, food insecure and depressed families; (2) poor, single parent families; and (3) low risk families. Interactive effects for uninvolved feeding styles and risk group indicated that children in poor, food insecure, and depressed families had higher BMI z-scores compared to children in the low risk group. Authoritative feeding styles in low risk and poor, food insecure, and depressed families showed lower child BMI z-scores relative to poor, single parent families with authoritative feeding styles.

Conclusions: Uninvolved feeding styles intensified the risk and an authoritative feeding style muted the risk conferred by living in a poor, food-insecure, and depressed family. Interventions that promote responsive feeding practices could help decrease the associations of familial psychosocial risks with early child weight outcomes.

Keywords: Child health; Child obesity; Family psychosocial risk; Feeding styles; Responsiveness.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Body Mass Index*
Body Weight
Caregivers / psychology*
Child, Preschool
Cluster Analysis
Diet / psychology*
Early Intervention, Educational
Female
Food Supply
Health Behavior*
Humans
Life Style*
Male
Middle Aged
Parent-Child Relations*
Pediatric Obesity / psychology
Racial Groups
Risk Factors
Socioeconomic Factors
Weight Gain
Young Adult