title: Diversity in fathers' food parenting practices: A qualitative exploration within a heterogeneous sample.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Food parenting practices (FPPs) are important in shaping children's dietary behaviors. However, existing FPP knowledge is largely based on research with mothers.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study (1) identified fathers' FPPs; (2) described differences in FPP use by fathers' education and residential status.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 fathers (39 ± 9.1 years; 37.5% non-residential; 40% ≥college education). Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. NVivo 10 was used for theme detection, categorization and classification using inductive and deductive approaches. FPPs were identified and their relative distribution was examined across education and residential status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty FPPs were identified - 13 responsive practices and 7 unresponsive practices. Having food rules was the most common responsive FPP (81.5%), followed by feeding on schedule (60%) and making healthy food accessible (60%). Common unresponsive FPPs were letting child dictate preferences (70%), incentivizing food consumption (60%) and pressuring the child to eat (35%). Compared to fathers with a college education, more fathers without a college education reported letting child dictate preferences (92% vs. 37%), educating their children about food (37% vs 12%), fewer reported feeding on schedule (50% vs. 75%), modeling healthy practices (29% vs. 50%), and using distraction to feed (4% vs. 37%). Compared to residential fathers, more non-residential fathers monitored (60% vs. 40%) or encouraged (60% vs. 36%) child food intake and let child dictate preferences (87% vs. 60%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fathers used an extensive variety of FPPs, similar to those identified in mothers. Further study on the influence of fathers' education and residential status on FPP use is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Nutrition, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: Neha12@mail.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Neha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Khandpur
authors.affiliation: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Nutrition, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Charles
authors.affiliation: California State University, Long Beach, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, 1250 Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90840, USA.
authors.forename: Rachel E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Blaine
authors.affiliation: University of South Carolina, Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blake
authors.affiliation: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Nutrition, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Davison
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000072001:Diet, Healthy; D004435:Eating; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D005220:Fathers; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016487:Parenting; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Child feeding; Fathers; Food parenting practices; Nutrition; Obesity