Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Aug;17(8):e12913.
doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12913. Epub 2022 Mar 11.

Infant appetite traits, feeding practices and child obesity in low-income Hispanic families

Sarvenaz Vandyousefi  1 , Mary Jo Messito  1 , Michelle W Katzow  2 , Marc A Scott  3 , Rachel S Gross  1
Affiliations

Infant appetite traits, feeding practices and child obesity in low-income Hispanic families

Sarvenaz Vandyousefi et al. Pediatr Obes. 2022 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Appetite traits and feeding practices are important determinants of child weight and obesity.

Objectives: This study examined whether: (1) infant appetite traits were associated with feeding practices and (2) feeding practices mediated the link between appetite traits and weight-for-age z-scores at age 3 years.

Methods: We conducted a secondary data analysis from the 'Starting Early Program' of low-income, Hispanic mother-child pairs. Appetite traits were assessed using the Baby Eating Behaviour Questionnaire. Infant feeding practices were collected using 24-h dietary recalls and surveys: (1) breastfeeding exclusivity, intensity and duration; (2) early introduction to complementary foods/liquids and (3) any 100% fruit juice consumption at age 10 months. Regression and mediation analyses were used to explore associations between appetite, feeding and weight.

Results: Higher infant Slowness in Eating scores were associated with greater breastfeeding exclusivity, intensity and duration, compared to lower Slowness in Eating. Infants with higher Slowness in Eating and Satiety Responsiveness had lower odds of early introduction to complementary foods/liquids. Infants with higher Enjoyment of Food had greater odds of 100% juice consumption. Breastfeeding duration mediated the relationship between higher infant Slowness in Eating and lower weight-for-age z-scores.

Conclusions: Appetite traits represent potential targets for early life infant feeding interventions.

Keywords: Hispanic; appetite traits; breastfeeding; infant feeding practices; obesity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: The authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to this article to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Study Design of the Analytic Sample (n=332)
Figure 2:
Figure 2:
Path Analysis – Breastfeeding Duration Mediates the Relationship between the Infant Appetite Trait of Slowness in Eating and Child Weight-for-Age Z-Scores at 3 Yearsa aValues shown are unstandardized regression coefficients (standard error) b Unadjusted, p<0.001 c Adjusted for Slowness in Eating at 3 months, p=0.01 d Unadjusted, p=0.036 e Adjusted for breastfeeding duration, p=0.15 WFAz: Weight-for-Age Z-Scores
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Skinner AC, Ravanbakht SN, Skelton JA, Perrin EM, Armstrong SC. Prevalence of obesity and severe obesity in US children, 1999-2016. Pediatrics. 2018;141(3)doi:10.1542/peds.2017-3459 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Rudy E, Bauer KW, Hughes SO, et al. Interrelationships of child appetite, weight and snacking among Hispanic preschoolers. Pediatric Obesity. 2018;13(1):38–45. doi:10.1111/ijpo.12186 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bahorski JS, Schneider-Worthington CR, Chandler-Laney PC. Modified eating in the absence of hunger test is associated with appetitive traits in infants. Eating Behaviors. 2020;36:101342–101342. doi:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2019.101342 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Farrow C, Blissett J. Stability and continuity of parentally reported child eating behaviours and feeding practices from 2 to 5 years of age. Appetite. 2012;58(1):151–156. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2011.09.005 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Albuquerque G, Severo M, Oliveira A. Early Life Characteristics Associated with Appetite-Related Eating Behaviors in 7-Year-Old Children. J Pediatr. Jan 2017;180:38–46.e2. doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2016.09.011 - DOI - PubMed

Publication types