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Review
. 2018 Dec;7(4):303-309.
doi: 10.1007/s13668-018-0255-9.

Child, Caregiver, Family, and Social-Contextual Factors to Consider when Implementing Parent-Focused Child Feeding Interventions

Alison L Miller  1 , Sara E Miller  2 , Katy M Clark  2
Affiliations
Review

Child, Caregiver, Family, and Social-Contextual Factors to Consider when Implementing Parent-Focused Child Feeding Interventions

Alison L Miller et al. Curr Nutr Rep. 2018 Dec.

Abstract

Purpose of review: Interventions that aim to alter child eating behaviors often focus on parents as a proximal influence. Yet, parents can be difficult to engage. Therefore, intervention recommendations are often not implemented as designed. The goal of this review is to highlight factors at multiple contextual levels that are important to consider when developing interventions to address child eating, due to their implications for overcoming parent engagement challenges.

Recent findings: Intervention studies suggest that parents are often the key to successfully changing child eating behaviors, and many interventions focus on feeding. Factors such as child eating phenotypes, parent stress, family system dynamics, and sociodemographic constraints have also been identified as shaping food parenting. Challenges at multiple contextual levels can affect the likelihood of parent engagement. Addressing factors at the child-, parent-, family-, and broader social-contextual levels of influence is essential in order to promote best practices for parent-focused feeding interventions.

Keywords: Eating behavior; Engagement; Feeding; Implementation; Intervention; Parenting; Stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

Alison L. Miller, Sara E. Miller, and Katy M. Clark declare they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Child, caregiver, family, and social-contextual factors to consider in feeding interventions
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