Childcare staff feeding practices associated with children's willingness-to-try-new-foods

Abstract

Parental feeding practices are associated with children's eating, but little is known about how childcare staff feeding practices relate to children's eating. The study examined the associations between childcare staff feeding practices and children's willingness-to-try-new-foods. Participants included children (n = 460), ages 3-5 years, and childcare staff (n = 91) recruited from 51 childcare centers in 10 Maryland counties. Feeding practices were measured using the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ) adapted to the childcare setting. Children's willingness-to-try-new-foods was assessed using a food tasting activity administered in the childcare centers. Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses were used to evaluate the factor structure of the CFPQ applied to childcare staff, and to identify modified factor structures. Logistic regressions assessed the association between childcare staff feeding practices and children's willingness-to-try-new-foods (categorized as high vs. low). Among this sample, a revised 7-factor, 32-item model, including encourage balance and variety, environment, healthy eating guidance, indulgent, monitoring, pressure, and restriction for health was identified. Children exposed to more indulgent feeding practices in the classroom had 2.13 (95% CI: 1.04, 4.37) times the odds of demonstrating high willingness-to-try-new-foods compared to children exposed to less frequent use of this feeding practice, with no associations among other feeding practices. Understanding mechanisms driving childcare staff feeding practices and their relation to children's eating behavior can inform interventions that promote healthy eating behaviors among young children.