Are body image and eating attitudes, behaviours, and knowledge of parents of pre-schoolers associated with parent feeding practices?

Abstract

Some parent feeding practices have been linked to disordered eating and higher BMIs in children. Relatively little research has examined factors that influence parent feeding practices. The aim of this study was to identify relationships between the parent feeding practices that have been linked to unhealthy eating patterns in children, and parent body image, eating attitudes, behaviours, and knowledge. Participants were 326 parents of pre-school children from Victoria (97.5% mothers). Parents completed measures of parent body dissatisfaction, body image knowledge, dieting behaviours, and parent feeding practices of their child closest to four years old (58% girls, aged 2-6 years). Knowledge..