Parental Feeding Behaviors and Weight-Related Concerns in Children With Special Needs

Parental feeding behaviors and concern about child weight are associated with obesity among youth who are typically developing. Little is known about this relationship among parents of youth with special needs, despite these children having higher obesity risk. This study used an online survey to ex...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Western journal of nursing research 2017-08, Vol.39 (8), p.1070-1093
Main Authors: Polfuss, Michele, Simpson, Pippa, Neff Greenley, Rachel, Zhang, Liyun, Sawin, Kathleen J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Autism
Autism Spectrum Disorder - psychology
Autistic children
Body Mass Index
Body weight
Child
Child, Preschool
Childhood obesity
Children & youth
Disabled Children - psychology
Down syndrome
Down Syndrome - psychology
Exceptional children
Family income
Feeding Behavior
Female
Health behavior
Health education
Humans
Internet
Male
Medical diagnosis
Nursing
Obesity
Obesity - psychology
Parent-Child Relations
Parenting - psychology
Parents & parenting
Socioeconomic Factors
Special needs children
Spina bifida
Spina Bifida Occulta - psychology
Surveys and Questionnaires
Youth
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Summary:Parental feeding behaviors and concern about child weight are associated with obesity among youth who are typically developing. Little is known about this relationship among parents of youth with special needs, despite these children having higher obesity risk. This study used an online survey to explore associations among parental feeding behaviors, parent weight concerns, demographics, and child weight status in a sample of 356 parents of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, spina bifida, and Down syndrome. Specific parental feeding behaviors were significantly related to the child’s weight and intensified when the parent was concerned about the child’s weight. Child’s diagnosis, family income, parent age, and parent gender influenced select feeding behaviors. Obesity has significant health ramifications and negatively affects an individual’s ability to self-manage, which is crucial in individuals with special needs. These findings present an opportunity for the health care community to educate and promote healthy feeding practices in this vulnerable population.
ISSN:0193-9459
1552-8456
DOI:10.1177/0193945916687994