The Relationship Between Maternal Child Feeding Practices and Child’s BMI and Child’s Dietary Restraint in Mexican-American Families of Grand Rapids, MI.

Author

Larissa E. Fluegel, Grand Valley State University

Date Approved

4-2014

Graduate Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Biomedical Sciences (M.H.S.)

Degree Program

Biomedical Sciences

Abstract

Background. Research in Caucasian girls has shown a relationship between mother’s restrictive feeding practices and girls’ eating in absence of hunger and greater body mass index (BMI). Hispanic children disproportionately suffer from obesity, yet there are limited studies on this relationship.

Purpose. This study sought to examine the relationship between maternal feeding practices (MFP) and child BMI (BMI_ch); and to explore the effect of demographics and culture on the latter. The hypothesis that BMI_ch is positively correlated with dietary restriction and monitoring and negatively correlated with pressure to eat was tested.

Subjects. First or second-generation Mexican-American women and their children 5-15 years old (one child:mother pair per family; n=35) were recruited from churches in Grand Rapids, MI.

Methods & Materials. Questionnaires were administered to mothers for demographic, acculturation (BAS) and child-feeding (CFQ) information. BMI (kg/m²) were calculated for mothers and children from measured height and weight.

Analyses. Fisher’s exact test was used to explore difference in proportions in categorical variables of gender, SES, BAS and maternal and child BMI. BMIch distributions. Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore BAS, BMIch and MFP associations. Multiple variable regression was used to determine the strength of association between MFP, and BMI_ch adjusting for maternal BMI (BMI_M).

Results. Gender differences in children regarding social class, maternal acculturation level and BMI percentiles were not statistically significant. Associations of acculturation with BMI_chwere not explored due to the cultural homogeneity of the sample. There was a small positive association of BMI_ch–z scores with maternal restriction (r=0.14, p=0.4) and a weak negative association with monitoring (r=-0.12, p=0.48). Pressure to eat was not explored due to unreliability of the scale in this sample. These relationships were not affected by BMI_M in the regression model and were not statistically significant.

Conclusion. In this small sample of Hispanic mother-child pairs, MFP were not significantly associated with BMI_ch. These findings suggest interventions in MFP might not impact on the childhood obesity in Hispanics.

ScholarWorks Citation

Fluegel, Larissa E., "The Relationship Between Maternal Child Feeding Practices and Child’s BMI and Child’s Dietary Restraint in Mexican-American Families of Grand Rapids, MI." (2014). Masters Theses. 719.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/theses/719