Do children and their parents eat a similar diet? Resemblance in child and parental dietary intake: systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Objectives: Parents are believed to have a strong influence on children's eating behaviours. However, previous findings on child-parent resemblance in dietary intakes are mixed. We systematically reviewed and meta-analysed the association (correlations) based on published studies.

Methods: We searched related studies published since 1980 and found 24 studies meeting inclusion criteria for review and 15 for meta-regression analysis. We compared the associations between parent-child pairs, nutrients, over time and by dietary assessment method.

Results: Most studies were based on small samples. Overall, they suggest a moderate or weak association, but findings varied remarkably. Our meta-analysis showed that average Fisher's transformed correlations were 0.20 (95% CI 0.13 to 0.28) for fat (% energy); for energy, 0.21 (0.18 to 0.24). The correlations varied by parent-child pairs, dietary assessment and countries. Food frequency questionnaires or mixed approaches yielded lower correlation than 24-h recalls or food records. Child self-reported intakes showed weaker correlation and better methodology quality showed stronger correlation in fat intake (% energy), which also became weaker over time.

Conclusions: Overall, the resemblance is weak, and it varied considerably across studies, nutrients, foods and parent-child pairs.

Figure 1

Mean correlation coefficients of dietary intakes and proportion (%) of significant correlations (p< 0.05), by parent-child relationship type* *p: parent; c: child; m: mother; f: father; s: son; d: daughter ** The differences across the pairs were not statistically significant based on one-way ANOVA and pairwise t-tests, P>0.05. Note: None of the negative correlations were statistically significant. Chi-square tests of significance of correlation by nutrient type were not significant across pairs.

Figure 1

Mean correlation coefficients of dietary intakes and proportion (%) of significant correlations (p< 0.05), by parent-child relationship type* *p: parent; c: child; m: mother; f: father; s: son; d: daughter ** The differences across the pairs were not statistically significant based on one-way ANOVA and pairwise t-tests, P>0.05. Note: None of the negative correlations were statistically significant. Chi-square tests of significance of correlation by nutrient type were not significant across pairs.

Figure 1

Mean correlation coefficients of dietary intakes and proportion (%) of significant correlations (p< 0.05), by parent-child relationship type* *p: parent; c: child; m: mother; f: father; s: son; d: daughter ** The differences across the pairs were not statistically significant based on one-way ANOVA and pairwise t-tests, P>0.05. Note: None of the negative correlations were statistically significant. Chi-square tests of significance of correlation by nutrient type were not significant across pairs.

Appendix B

Publication bias assessment: Begg’s funnel plot and Begg’s test^{1 1}Using Fisher’s transformed correlation coefficient with its SE per study datapoint, aggregating datapoints means per study to assess publication bias. N=15 studies. Continuity corrected Begg’s test is presented.