Associations among permissive parenting, family mealtime behaviors, nutrition, and blood glucose in children with type 1 diabetes

ABSTRACT

We examined relations among permissive parenting, mealtime behaviors, nutrition, and HbA1c in pediatric type 1 diabetes (T1D). Sixty-three children (Mage = 10.3, SD = 1.9) with T1D and caregivers completed surveys. Permissive parenting significantly negatively correlated with vegetable consumption (r=-0.27, p = .03). It was positively correlated with child resistance to eating (r = 0.48, p < .01), parent aversion to mealtime (r = 0.51, p < .01) and mealtime disturbance (r = 0.48, p < .01). Child resistance to eating did not mediate the relation between permissive parenting and HbA1c or permissive parenting and vegetable consumption. Because permissive parenting relates to eating behaviors, parent-child interventions promoting healthy eating and more effective parenting in T1D should be explored.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported by a dissertation award provided by West Virginia University Department of Psychology Dissertation Funds.