Common Early Feeding Contexts: Study in Primary Caregiver and Son or Daughter Dyads

Abstract

It is important to investigate the beginning of eating behavior given the high rates of child obesity that exist all around the world and in Chile. Many investigations give importance to the role of parents in the formation of eating habits during early childhood. This work aims to relate the characteristics of the usual feeding context in early childhood with the emotionality of the caregiver-baby dyad, and the alimentary style of the main caregiver. Descriptive, correlational, and transversal study. Observation by expert judges of 29 video recordings of caregiver-baby dyad in a habitual feeding practice. The average age of the children was 2.12 years (DS = 0.48), most of them had normal nutritional status (51.7%), and 62% were males. Applied questionnaires: socio-demographic survey, checklist of habitual eating behaviors, measurement of the child’s socio-emotional state (CBCL Y ASQ-SE), affective and alimentary symptomatology of the main caregiver (DASS 21 Y DEBQ). The most frequent problematic eating behaviors of children are: Reject to eat specific foods due to texture/flavor and a tense emotional state during the feeding. The depressive and stress symptoms of the caregiver are significantly associated with the behavior of the child during the habitual feeding practice. It is noted a significant relationship between the caregiver’s perception of the child’s emotional state, an unusual context to perform feeding practice and the more directive attitude assumed by the adult during the alimentary interaction. It is necessary to investigate the food interaction especially during the first years of life, when eating habits are established.