Maternal self-efficacy and feeding practices in children aged 3-6 years

Abstract

Objective: Nutrition in childhood has an important role in current and adulthood health. Recent studies have shown that the mother's lifestyle has an important role in the methods used by mother to feed child. This paper aimed to investigate the association between mother's weight efficacy lifestyle with feeding practices in children aged 3-6 years. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study which was carried out in 30 primary schools of Rasht (Iran) in 2012, 165 mothers with children aged 3-6 years were participated. Mothers reported their own and their child's demographics. Aspects of mother's weight efficacy lifestyle and mother's control practices were assessed using Weight Efficacy Lifestyle (WEL) questionnaire and Comprehensive Feeding Practices questionnaire (CFPQ) respectively. Height and weight of mothers participated in the study were measured. The role of mother's weight efficacy in predicting child's feeding practices was assessed using linear regression. Results: Results showed that mother's weight efficacy was related to child feeding practices. The mothers with similar weight efficacy lifestyle applied similar methods in child nutrition. Mothers with better weight efficacy used more encourage balance and variety, environmental control, child involvement and less emotion regulation using foods. Conclusion: The result of the study showed that maternal lifestyle was associated with child feeding practices.