Parenting style and child-feeding behavior in predicting children's weight status change

Prevalence of overweight and obesity among children is on the rise worldwide. Prior studies find that parents' child-feeding practices are associated with child weight status and the efficacy of specific parental child-feeding practices can be moderated by parenting styles. In this longitudinal study, we examined the associations between child-feeding practices and Body Mass Index changes over one-year under different patenting styles. During the fall of 2008, a child-feeding questionnaire and a parenting style questionnaire were administered to parents of second and fourth graders in an elementary school in Taiwan. Students' weights and heights were measured by a trained school nurse in 2008 and again in 2009. The moderating effects of different parenting styles on child-feeding practices were tested by models predicting the children's overweight status in 2009 while controlling for their weight status in 2008. The data of 465 parent-child pairs were included in the analysis. Using a gender- and age-adjusted Body Mass Index classification scheme issued by the Department of Health in Taiwan, 29.2% of the students were considered overweight in 2009. Mother's perceived child weight and concern of child weight were significant predictors of overweight status in 2009. In addition, a stronger responsibility towards child's dietary intakes and more monitoring on child's food consumptions were associated with less likely to have an overweight child in 2009, but only among more authoritative mothers. Findings suggest that parenting styles have a moderating effect on specific parental child-feeding practices. Future interventions on childhood obesity should consider the importance of parenting styles.