Empirically Derived Parental Feeding Styles for Young Children and Their Relations to Weight, Mealtime Behaviors, and Childhood Behavior Problems

Abstract

This study sought to establish empirically derived parental feeding styles based on their mealtime behaviors and strategies and determine how these styles relate to children’s weight, mealtime behaviors, and other childhood problems. Parents (N = 378) of children ages 2–6 completed questionnaires and reported children’s height and weight. Three feeding styles emerged via latent profile analyses: internal regulation (IR), external control (EC), and laissez faire regulation (LFR). BMI scores were highest in the EC profile, and LFR parents reported the most mealtime difficulties. These empirically derived feeding styles are associated with specific mealtime behaviors/characteristics and both high and low weight extremes.