Associations between Feeding Practices and Overweight or Obesity in 2–6 Year-old Children

Recently, overweight and obesity have increased in preschool children. Parents play important roles in a children weight by adopting their feeding practices. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate possible associations of feeding practices with body mass index.

This cross-sectional study was carried out in Mashhad kindergartens on 261 mothers with 2–6 year-old children. Mothers were asked to complete comprehensive feeding practices questionnaires through face-to-face interviews by trained questioners. Children weight and height were measured and body mass index for age z-score was calculated using Plus WHO Anthro and WHO Anthro Software.

The mean ±SD (standard deviation) of the age of the participants was 4.8 ±0.1 years and nearly 45% of the children were girls. Participants with more adherence to restriction for weight control had a 10.57-fold increased risk of high body mass index for age z-score in multivariable adjusted model, compared to those with lower adherence, (P for trend < 0.001). Of participants with higher adherence to involvement and modeling feeding practices, body mass index for age z-score respectively decreased by 69 and 67% in multivariable adjusted models, compared to participants with lower adherence to aforementioned feeding practices (OR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.37–0.84, P for trend = 0.005 and OR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.34–0.95, P for trend = 0.032, respectively). No significant associations were observed between other feeding practices and body mass index for age z-score.

The present study has shown that higher desirable feeding practices are linked to better body mass index for age z-score status; however, lower desirable feeding practices were associated to weaker body mass index for age z-score status.