Associations between feeding practices and child dietary quality, and the moderating effect of child eating behaviours on these associations

Abstract

Background: Parents' feeding practices are associated with children's food intake. Little is known about how children's eating behaviours (fussiness, enjoyment of food, food responsiveness, satiety responsiveness) moderate these associations. This study examines the relationships between feeding practices and pre-school children's dietary quality and whether children's eating behaviours moderate these relationships. Methods: In 2018, 1349 Australian mothers of children aged 2–5 years completed an online survey including validated measures of feeding practices (n = 9), child eating behaviours (n = 4) and dietary quality. Thirteen items from a food frequency questionnaire were summed as a meas..