title: Confirmatory factor analysis of the Feeding Emotions Scale. A measure of parent emotions in the context of feeding.
abstract: Assessing parent affect is important because studies examining the parent-child dyad have shown that parent affect has a profound impact on parent-child interactions and related outcomes. Although some measures that assess general affect during daily lives exist, to date there are only few tools that assess parent affect in the context of feeding. The aim of this study was to develop an instrument to measure parent affect specific to the feeding context and determine its validity and reliability. A brief instrument consisting of 20 items was developed that specifically asks how parents feel during the feeding process. This brief instrument draws on the structure of a well-validated general affect measure. A total of 296 Hispanic and Black Head Start parents of preschoolers completed the Feeding Emotions Scale along with other parent-report measures as part of a larger study designed to better understand feeding interactions during the dinner meal. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a two-factor model with independent subscales of positive affect and negative affect (Cronbach's alphas of 0.85 and 0.84, respectively). Concurrent and convergent construct validity was evaluated by correlating the subscales of the Feeding Emotions Scale with positive emotionality and negative emotionality from the Differential Emotions Scale - a measure of general adult emotions. Concurrent and convergent criterion validity was evaluated by testing mean differences in affect across parent feeding styles using ANOVA. A significant difference was found across maternal weight status for positive feeding affect. The resulting validated measure can be used to assess parent affect in studies of feeding to better understand how interactions during feeding may impact the development of child eating behaviors and possibly weight status.
authors: Department of Psychological, Health and Learning Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77004, USA.
authors: Leslie
authors: L
authors: Frankel
authors: Department of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA.
authors: Jennifer O
authors: JO
authors: Fisher
authors: Department of Human Development, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA.
authors: Thomas G
authors: TG
authors: Power
authors: USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors: Tzu-An
authors: TA
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Health and Human Performance, Texas Obesity Research Center, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-6015, USA.
authors: Matthew B
authors: MB
authors: Cross
authors: USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Electronic address: shughes@bcm.edu.
authors: Sheryl O
authors: SO
authors: Hughes
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000208:ethnology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000208:ethnology; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational; D004644:Emotions; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005192:Family Health / Q000208:ethnology; D005248:Feeding Methods / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016487:Parenting / Q000208:ethnology; D010290:Parents; D012306:Risk; D057566:Self Report; D015206:Southwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014504:Urban Health / Q000208:ethnology
keywords: Differential emotions scale; Factor analysis; Feeding emotions scale; Measures; Parent–child dyad