Food parenting and Children's eating behaviour: Exploring the role of coparenting.

Parents have primary influence over the development of their children's eating behaviours, however less attention has been given to whether or how their coparenting plays a role in this association. The aim of this study was to investigate the cross-sectional associations between mothers' and fathers' food parenting practices and children's eating behaviour and examine whether coparenting quality moderates or confounds these associations. Parents (222 mothers and 167 fathers) with children 18 months to 5 years completed an online survey that assessed their food parenting practices and coparenting quality. One parent per family (91% mothers) also reported their children's food approach behaviours. We used linear regressions with generalized estimating equations to examine the associations between food parenting practices and children's eating behaviours. To explore moderation by coparenting quality, we included an interaction term in each model (coparenting quality x food parenting practice). To explore confounding, models were adjusted for coparenting quality. All models were stratified by parent gender and included parent educational attainment, child age, and child BMI z-scores as covariates. Among both mothers and fathers, we found that structure and autonomy support food parenting practices were inversely associated with children's food responsiveness, and desire to drink, while coercive control practices were positively associated with these food approach behaviours. We found the opposite direction of association between these food parenting practices and children's enjoyment of food. Among mothers, autonomy support was inversely associated with children's emotional overeating, while coercive control was positively associated with this eating behaviour. Coparenting quality did not moderate or confound the associations. Future studies should continue to explore these associations among families with young children and consider feeding coparenting in the association.

Fathers' use of social media for social comparison is associated with their food parenting practices.

Over 85% of parents use social media; however, limited research has investigated the associations between parental social media use and food parenting practices. The objectives of this study were to: 1) describe how mothers and fathers use social media focused on topics related to child feeding and family meals; and 2) examine associations between parental social media use focused on child feeding and family meals and mothers' and fathers' food parenting practices. Data were obtained from 179 mothers and 116 fathers of children aged 3-8 years enrolled in a family-based obesity prevention intervention. We used descriptive statistics to describe parents' social media use in relation to child feeding and family meals and linear regressions with generalized estimating equations to explore associations between parents' social media use and food parenting practices. Models were stratified by parent gender and adjusted for household income, parent ethnicity, parent age, child sex, and intervention status. A higher percent of mothers than fathers reported using social media to seek information related to child feeding and family meals (64.8% mothers; 25.0% fathers) and to share and compare family meals and food choices (41.9% mothers; 19.8% fathers). While social media use was not associated with food parenting practices in mothers, fathers' social media use to share and compare family meals and food choices was associated with negative food parenting practices, i.e., greater use of food for emotional regulation (ß = 0.37, p = 0.02) and greater use of food for reward (ß = 0.34, p = 0.02). Study results can inform strategies to promote healthy social media use among parents of young children.

Dietary Sugar and Anthropometrics among Young Children in the Guelph Family Health Study: Longitudinal Associations.

Purpose: Our understanding of the influence of sugar intake on anthropometrics among young children is limited. Most existing research is cross-sectional and has focused on sugar-sweetened beverages. The study objective was to investigate longitudinal associations between young children's total, free, and added sugar intake from all food sources at baseline with anthropometric measures at baseline and 18 months.Methods: The Guelph Family Health Study (GFHS) is an ongoing randomized controlled trial and a family-based health promotion study. Food records and anthropometric data were collected at baseline (n = 109, 55 males; 3.7 ± 1.1 y, mean ± SD) and 18 months (n = 109, 55 males; 5.1 ± 1.1 y) of the GFHS pilots. Associations between sugar intakes and anthropometrics were estimated using linear regression models with generalized estimating equations adjusted for age, sex, household income, and intervention status.Results: Total sugar intake was inversely associated with body weight at 18 months (P = 0.01). There was no effect of time on any other associations between total, free, and added sugar intakes and anthropometrics.Conclusions: Early life dietary sugar intakes may not relate to anthropometric measures in the short term. Further investigation into potential associations between dietary sugar intakes and anthropometric variables over longer time periods is warranted.

Dietary Sugar Research in Preschoolers: Methodological, Genetic, and Cardiometabolic Considerations.

Excess dietary sugar intake increases the risk of unhealthy weight gain, an important cardiometabolic risk factor in children. To further our understanding of this relationship, we performed a narrative review using two approaches. First, research examining dietary sugar intake, its associations with cardiometabolic health, impact of genetics on sweet taste perception and intake, and how genetics moderates the association of dietary sugar intake and cardiometabolic risk factors in preschool-aged children 1.5-5 years old is reviewed. Second, methodological considerations for collecting and analyzing dietary intake of sugar, genetic information, and markers of cardiometabolic health among young children are provided. Our key recommendations include the following for researchers: (1) Further longitudinal research on sugar intake and cardiometabolic risk factors is warranted to inform policy decisions and guidelines for healthy eating in preschool-aged children. (2) Consistency in sugar definitions is needed across research studies to aid with comparisons of results. (3) Select dietary collection tools specific to each study's aim and sugar definition(s). (4) Limit subjectivity of dietary assessment tools as this impacts interpretation of study results. (5) Choose non-invasive biomarkers of cardiometabolic disease until the strengths and limitations of available biomarkers in preschool-aged children are clarified. (6) Select approaches that account for the polygenic nature of cardiometabolic disease such as genome risk scores and genome wide association studies to assess how genetics moderates the relationship between dietary sugar intake and cardiometabolic risk. This review highlights potential recommendations that will support a research environment to help inform policy decisions and healthy eating policies to reduce cardiometabolic risk in young children.

Early life involvement in food skills is associated with children's cooking skills: a longitudinal analysis.

Engaging young children in food skills such as food planning and preparation early in life may be an important predictor of later child cooking skills. The aim of this study was to examine whether early life involvement in food skills (mean age at baseline = 3.6 years) is prospectively associated with cooking skills among a sample of 60 children (mean age at follow-up = 10.0 years; 83% White) from the Guelph Family Health Study, an ongoing cohort study examining the effect of a home-based obesity prevention intervention. Early life involvement in food skills, i.e., child involvement in grocery shopping and meal preparation, was reported by parents at baseline. Children self-reported their cooking skills at follow-up. After adjusting for child age, child sex, parent age, household income, and intervention status, early life involvement in food skills was significantly associated with later child cooking skills (ß = 0.24, 95% CI (0.02-0.45), p = 0.03). Future studies with larger and more socioeconomically, geographically, and racially diverse samples are needed to confirm these findings.

The degree of food processing contributes to sugar intakes in families with preschool-aged children.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Evidence implicates ultra-processed food intake as a major contributor of excess dietary sugars. However, little research exists on the relationship between the degree of food processing and sugar intake in families with young children. We investigated associations between the degree of food processing and sugar intake (total and free sugars) in Canadian preschool-aged children and parents. METHODS: This cross-sectional study of 242 families included preschool-aged children (n = 267) and parents (n = 365) participating in the Guelph Family Health Study. Dietary intake was assessed via the web-based Automated Self-Administered 24-h Dietary Assessment Tool (ASA24-Canada-2016) and classified according to the NOVA Food Classification System including, unprocessed or minimally processed foods, processed culinary ingredients, processed foods and ultra-processed foods. Linear regression models with generalized estimating equations were used to examine associations between the energy contribution of each NOVA classification category and sugar intake (% kcal of total and free sugars). Pearson correlation coefficient estimates were used to assess dietary relationships between parents and children. RESULTS: Ultra-processed foods were the greatest source of energy (44.3%) and energy from total (8.7%) and free sugars (7.3%) in the parents' diets, and the greatest source of energy (41.3%) and energy from free sugars (7.6%) in the children's diet. Ultra-processed food intake was positively associated with sugar intake in parents (total sugars: B = 0.05, 95% CI: 0.02-0.09, p = 0.01; free sugars: B = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.08-0.15, p < 0.001) and children (total sugars: B = 0.10, 95% CI: 0.04-0.16, p = 0.001; free sugars: B = 0.16, 95% CI: 0.12-0.21, p < 0.001). Unprocessed or minimally processed food intake was negatively associated with free sugar intake in parents (B = -0.08, 95% CI: -0.12 to -0.05, p < 0.001) and children (B = -0.15, 95% CI: -0.19 to -0.10, p < 0.001). Weak correlations were found between parents and children for processed culinary ingredients and ultra-processed processed food intake (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the associations between degree of food processing and sugar intake in parents and children, whereby ultra-processed foods were positively, and unprocessed or minimally processed foods were negatively, associated with sugar intake. These are important considerations in the development of policy and recommendations for foods to potentially promote or limit.

Coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination among young children: Associations with fathers' and mothers' influenza vaccination status.

Objectives: To examine the association between parents' influenza vaccination and their children's coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination status. Methods: Participants included father-mother dyads from Fathers & Families, a cohort of fathers and their co-parents living in the United States. Parents' influenza vaccination status and children's COVID-19 vaccination status were reported from June 2022-July 2023. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between parental influenza vaccination (both parents vs. neither parent vs. mother only vs. father only vaccinated) and child COVID-19 vaccination (received at least 1 vs. 0 doses). Models were adjusted for recruitment site, income, parent education, child race/ethnicity, child age, and childcare enrollment. Inverse probability weighting was used to account for selection bias into the father-mother dyad sample. Results: Children were predominately non-Hispanic White (56 %) and aged 3-5 years (62 %). In most households, both parents (64 %) received the influenza vaccine and half (53 %) of children received the COVID-19 vaccine. One-in-four fathers (23 %) lacked knowledge about their child's COVID-19 vaccination eligibility. Compared to children with two unvaccinated parents, having only their father (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.84, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.52-5.36), only their mother (AOR = 4.04, 95 % CI: 2.16-7.68), and both parents (AOR = 10.33, 95 % CI: 6.29-17.53) vaccinated against influenza was associated with higher odds of children receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Conclusions: Father and mother influenza vaccination is associated with child COVID-19 vaccination. Given many fathers were unaware their child was eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, it is critical to tailor vaccine messaging for fathers.

Correction: Acosta et al. Plant-Based Dietary Indices in Relation to Nutrient and Food Group Intakes in Preschool-Aged Children. Nutrients 2023, 15, 4617.

In the original publication [...].

Household Food Waste Intervention Is Feasible, Acceptable, and Effective.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of Weeknight Supper Savers, a family-based intervention designed to promote meal preparation and food waste reduction. METHODS: The 4-week program was piloted using a single-arm, prepost design. Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, the intervention included a chef-led online cooking class, a food waste toolkit, and 4 text messages/wk. Postintervention surveys were used to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the interventions. RESULTS: Eighteen families (95%) attended their scheduled cooking class. All parents who completed the survey (17 mothers and 12 fathers) reported being satisfied with the overall program, the cooking class, and the toolkit. Approximately 73% of the children (n = 21) reported being satisfied with the overall program, and 77% reported being satisfied with the cooking class and the toolkit. CONCLUSIONS: The intervention was feasible and well-received by families. Results could help inform future public health programs focused on reducing household food waste.

Compliance with the 24-hour movement behavior guidelines and the impact of sleep methods among toddler, preschool, and school-aged children enrolled in the Guelph Family Health Study.

Canadian movement guidelines focused on physical activity (PA), sleep, and screen time support childhood development and reduce the risk of chronic disease. Accelerometers are often used to capture these behaviors; however, they are limited in their ability to record daytime sleep due to potential misclassification. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to 1) determine the prevalence of children enrolled in the Guelph Family Health Study who met the guidelines and to 2) compare the impact of different sleep measurement methods. DESIGN/METHODS: Toddlers (1.5-<3 years; n = 128; valid data for all movement behaviors, n = 70), preschoolers (3-<5 years; n = 143; valid data for all movement behaviors, n = 104), and school-aged (5-<6 years; n = 49; valid data for all movement behaviors, n = 31) children were included. Screen time and sleep habits were obtained through parental report and published normative data. PA and sleep were recorded using accelerometers (wGT3X-BT ActiGraph; right hip). RESULTS: It was found that 66 % of toddler, 44 % of preschool, and 63 % of school-aged children met the screen time guidelines. Further, 63 % of toddler, 98 % of preschooler, and 80 % of school-aged children met PA guidelines. Sleep guideline compliance ranged from 3 % to 83 % in toddler, 27 % to 92 % in preschooler, and 32 % to 90 % in school-aged children. These proportions were found to be significantly different (Cochran's Q and McNemar's tests). CONCLUSIONS: Nearly all children met PA guidelines. In contrast, less than half to two-thirds met screen time guidelines. Compliance with sleep guidelines varied substantially with measurement method, highlighting the need for standardization.

Testing a Biobehavioral Model of Chronic Stress and Weight Gain in Young Children (Family Stress Study): Protocol and Baseline Demographics for a Prospective Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic stress is an important risk factor in the development of obesity. While research suggests chronic stress is linked to excess weight gain in children, the biological or behavioral mechanisms are poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of the Family Stress Study are to examine behavioral and biological pathways through which chronic stress exposure (including stress from COVID-19) may be associated with adiposity in young children, and to determine if factors such as child sex, caregiver-child relationship quality, caregiver education, and caregiver self-regulation moderate the association between chronic stress and child adiposity. METHODS: The Family Stress Study is a prospective cohort study of families recruited from 2 Canadian sites: the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario, and McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. Participants will be observed for 2 years and were eligible to participate if they had at least one child (aged 2-6 years) and no plans to move from the area within the next 3 years. Study questionnaires and measures were completed remotely at baseline and will be assessed using the same methods at 1- and 2-year follow-ups. At each time point, caregivers measure and report their child's height, weight, and waist circumference, collect a hair sample for cortisol analysis, and fit their child with an activity monitor to assess the child's physical activity and sleep. Caregivers also complete a web-based health and behaviors survey with questions about family demographics, family stress, their own weight-related behaviors, and their child's mental health, as well as a 1-day dietary assessment for their child. RESULTS: Enrollment for this study was completed in December 2021. The final second-year follow-up was completed in April 2024. This study's sample includes 359 families (359 children, 359 female caregivers, and 179 male caregivers). The children's mean (SD) age is 3.9 years (1.2 years) and 51% (n=182) are female. Approximately 74% (n=263) of children and 80% (n=431) of caregivers identify as White. Approximately 34% (n=184) of caregivers have a college diploma or less and nearly 93% (n=499) are married or cohabiting with a partner. Nearly half (n=172, 47%) of the families have an annual household income ≥CAD $100,000 (an average exchange rate of 1 CAD=0.737626 USD applies). Data cleaning and analysis are ongoing as of manuscript publication. CONCLUSIONS: Despite public health restrictions from COVID-19, the Family Stress Study was successful in recruiting and using remote data collection to successfully engage families in this study. The results from this study will help identify the direction and relative contributions of the biological and behavioral pathways linking chronic stress and adiposity. These findings will aid in the development of effective interventions designed to modify these pathways and reduce obesity risk in children. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05534711; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05534711. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/48549.

Development, validity and reliability assessment of the Canadian Food Literacy Measure.

Food literacy is a growing area of interest given its potential to support healthy and sustainable diets. Most existing food literacy measures focus on nutrition and food skills but fail to address food systems and socio-environmental aspects of food literacy. Further, measures developed and tested in the Canadian context are lacking. The objective of this project was to develop and test the validity and reliability of a brief self-administered measure, in French and English, designed to assess multiple dimensions of food literacy among adults living in Canada. The 23-item Canadian Food Literacy Measure was developed through an iterative process that included assessment of face and content validity through expert review (n=20) and cognitive interviews (n=20), and construct validity and reliability, i.e., internal consistency through an online survey (n=154). The results indicate that the measure is well understood by both English- and French-speaking adults. The measure's construct validity is demonstrated by the observed differences in total scores in hypothesized directions by gender (p=0.003), age (p=0.007), education level (p=0.002), health literacy (p<0.001) and smoking status (p=0.001) and the significant positive correlation (r = 0.29; p=0.002) between total scores and fruit and vegetable intake. The measure also has high internal consistency with a Cronbach's coefficient alpha of 0.80. This measure can be used in surveillance studies to provide insight into the food literacy of adults living in Canada and in epidemiologic research that aims to explore how food literacy is associated with a variety of health outcomes.