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Meta-Analysis
. 2022 Apr 30;14(9):1896.
doi: 10.3390/nu14091896.

Bidirectional Associations between Parental Non-Responsive Feeding Practices and Child Eating Behaviors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Prospective Studies

Jian Wang  1   2 , Bingqian Zhu  1 , Ruxing Wu  1 , Yan-Shing Chang  2 , Yang Cao  3 , Daqiao Zhu  1
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Bidirectional Associations between Parental Non-Responsive Feeding Practices and Child Eating Behaviors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Prospective Studies

Jian Wang et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Background: Parental non-responsive feeding practices and child eating behaviors both play significant roles in childhood obesity. However, their longitudinal relationships are less clear. This systematic review aimed to examine their bidirectional associations.

Methods: A systematic search of five databases was conducted from inception to February 2022. Data synthesis was performed using a semi-quantitative and quantitative approach.

Results: A total of 14 studies with 15348 respondents were included. A total of 94 longitudinal effects from 14 studies of parental non-responsive feeding practices on child eating behaviors were investigated, and 19 statistically significant effects were discovered. Seventy-seven longitudinal effects from nine studies of child eating behaviors on parental feeding practices were examined, with fifteen being statistically significant. The pooled results of meta-analysis showed five statistically significant associations: parental restrictive feeding positively predicted child enjoyment of food (β = 0.044; 95% CI: 0.004, 0.085); use of food as a reward positively predicted child emotional eating (β = 0.09; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.15); child food responsiveness positively predicted restrictive feeding (β = 0.04; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.06); use food as a reward (β = 0.06; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.10). In addition, the pooled effects showed that child satiety responsiveness negatively predicted restrictive feeding (β = -0.05; 95% CI: -0.08, -0.01).

Conclusions: The bidirectional relationships between parental non-responsive feeding practices and child eating behaviors are inconsistent and a few showed statistical significance. Theory-driven longitudinal studies using validated instruments and controlling for potential confounders are needed to unveil their relationships and provide evidence for obesity prevention interventions.

Keywords: children; eating behaviors; feeding practices; meta-analysis; parents; prospective study; systematic review.

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Conflict of interest statement

The funding body was not involved in the design of the study, data collection or analysis, interpretation of the results, or writing of the manuscript. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flow diagram for screening and selection of articles.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Effects of parental restriction on child eating behaviors.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Effects of parental pressure to eat on child eating behaviors.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Effects of parental use of food as a reward on child eating behaviors.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Effects of child food fussiness on parental non-feeding practices.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Effects of child food responsiveness on parental non-feeding practices.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Effects of child satiety responsiveness on parental non-feeding practices.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Effects of child enjoyment of food on parental non-feeding practices.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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