The relationship between parent feeding styles and general parenting with loss of control eating in treatment-seeking overweight and obese children.
OBJECTIVE
To examine differences in parent feeding behaviors and general parenting of overweight children with and without loss of control (LOC) eating.


METHODS
One-hundred-and-eighteen overweight and obese children (10.40 ± 1.35 years; 53% female; 52% Caucasian; BMI-z: 2.06 ± 0.39) and their parents (42.42 ± 6.20 years; 91% female; 70% Caucasian; BMI: 31.74 ± 6.96 kg/m(2) ) were seen at a baseline assessment visit for a behavioral intervention that targeted overeating. The Eating Disorder Examination, adapted for children (ChEDE) was administered to assess for LOC eating. Parents completed the Parental Feeding Styles Questionnaire (PFSQ) and the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ) to assess parent feeding styles and behaviors. Children also completed a self-report measure of general parenting (Child Report of Parent Behavior Inventory, CRPBI-30).


RESULTS
Forty-three children (36.40%) reported at least one LOC eating episode in the month prior to assessment. Parents who reported greater restriction and higher levels of pressure to eat were more likely to have children that reported LOC eating (ps < 0.05). Parents who utilized more instrumental feeding and prompting/encouragement to eat techniques were less likely to have children that reported LOC eating (ps < 0.05). Child-reported parenting behaviors were unrelated to child LOC eating (ps > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Parent feeding styles and behaviors appear to be differentially and uniquely related to LOC eating in treatment-seeking overweight and obese children. Future research is needed to determine if implementing interventions that target parent feeding behaviors may reduce LOC eating, prevent full-syndrome eating disorders, and reduce weight gain in youth.
San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, California.
Brittany E
BE
Matheson
Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California.
Casandra
C
Camacho
Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Carol B
CB
Peterson
Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California.
Kyung E
KE
Rhee
Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Sarah A
SA
Rydell
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina.|Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Nancy L
NL
Zucker
Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California.|Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.|Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California.
Kerri N
KN
Boutelle
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006963:Hyperphagia / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000628:therapy*; D050177:Overweight / Q000628:therapy*; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
LOC eating; overweight children; parent feeding behaviors; parenting styles