Association Between Maternal Feeding Practices and Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression Among 6-Year-Old Children

BACKGROUND: Maternal feeding practices (MFPs) have been linked to childhood obesity and other eating disorders. However, population-based research examining the association between MFPs and children’s emotional well-being is currently lacking. METHODS: We examined 1241 participants from Year 6 Follow-Up of the Infant Feeding Practices Study II, conducted from March to June 2012 in the United States. RESULTS: Approximately 57.5% and 47.8% of participants reported at least one symptom of childhood anxiety and depression, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, mothers who responded “yes” to “If I did not guide or regulate my child’s eating, he or she would eat too much of his or her favorite food” had higher odds of having a child who has symptoms of depression and anxiety compared with mothers who responded “no” (odds ratio [OR], 95% confidence interval [CI]) (2.02; 1.47-2.78, P < .001) and (1.41, 1.05-1.91, P = .024), respectively. The odds of having a child who has symptoms of depression were lower among mothers who responded “yes” to “I make sure that my child does not eat too many sweets or junk foods” compared with mothers who responded “no” (0.49; 0.26-0.91, P = .020). Mothers who responded “yes” to “I encourage my 6 year-old to eat all of the food on his or her plate” had higher odds of having a child who has symptoms of anxiety compared with mothers who responded “no” (1.43; 1.01-2.05, P = .049). CONCLUSIONS: Controlling MFPs may influence a child’s emotional well-being. Further research is needed to address the complex relationships between MFPs and psychosocial well-being in children.