Parental feeding practices and concerns related to child underweight, picky eating, and using food to calm differ according to ethnicity/race, acculturation, and income.

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in parental feeding practices according to ethnicity/race, household income, parent education level, acculturation (for Hispanic participants only), and participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program among parents living in a southern state in the United States. For this cross-sectional study, parents of children ages 1-5 years living throughout Texas were recruited through random digit dialing with screening questions during Fall 2006. Eligible parents who agreed to participate completed the Preschooler Feeding Questionnaire (PFQ) and a demographic questionnaire over the phone in either English or Spanish. The PFQ included five subscales: child overeating concerns, child underweight concerns, difficulty with picky eating, using food to calm, and pushing child to eat. Demographic questions assessed ethnicity/race, household income, parent education level, acculturation, and WIC participation. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), with the demographic variables as predictors, was used to predict the five PFQ subscales. Complete data were obtained from 721 parents, 50% of whom were Hispanic. Significant differences for the PFQ subscales were noted for ethnicity/race, acculturation, and income level. Spanish-speaking Hispanic participants were significantly more worried about their child being underweight than English-speaking Hispanic participants. High-income non-WIC respondents were more likely to report that they have difficulty with picky eaters compared to WIC respondents. Spanish-speaking Hispanics and Black respondents were more likely than English-speaking Hispanics to use food to calm the child. Health practitioners need to be aware of differences in parental feeding practices and concerns among parents of diverse demographic backgrounds. Results from this study can be used to tailor health programs that promote healthy feeding practices among parents.

Overweight among low-income Texas preschoolers aged 2 to 4 years.

OBJECTIVE: Determine child/maternal factors associated with overweight among 2- to 4-year-olds enrolled in the Texas Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). DESIGN: Matched child and maternal data collected by self-report of the mother during WIC certification. These data were extracted from existing statewide WIC databases and merged. SETTING: Texas WIC children aged 2 to 4 years in April 2006. PARTICIPANTS: Final sample was 22,837 mother-child dyads. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Dependent variable--child overweight; independent variables: Child-related--gender, age, race/ethnicity, Medicaid status, living area, and dental problems; Maternal-related--certification status, age, times certified, overweight, high maternal weight gain, and gestational diabetes. ANALYSIS: Bivariate relationships at P < .05 were included in the logistic regression. RESULTS: Living in a nonborder urban area associated with greater odds of overweight compared to living in a border area. Mother's overweight, high gestational weight gain, and gestational diabetes associated with greater odds of child overweight. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Several child- and maternal-related factors were found to be associated with overweight in Texas WIC preschoolers. Health interventions should target 4-year-old Hispanic children living in nonborder urban areas and mothers who are overweight, have high gestational weight gain, or have gestational diabetes.