Feeding Practices Used by Australian Parents of Young Children Living With Food Insecurity and Household Chaos

Abstract

Responsive feeding practices are crucial for developing healthy eating behaviours in children. However, chaotic households and financial stress may disrupt these practices. This cross-sectional study aimed to characterise feeding practices among Australian parents experiencing financial hardship. Parents of children aged 5-35 months, who identified as experiencing financial hardship, completed an online questionnaire from October 2021 to June 2022. Validated tools gathered data on feeding practices, mealtime structure and environment, household chaos (HC), household food insecurity (HFI) and sociodemographic characteristics. Bivariate correlations and hierarchical regression assessed relationships between these variables, adjusted for parent age, education and number of children. Data from 213 parent-child dyads were analysed (97% mothers, median age = 31 years, IQR 28-36; 50% boys, median age = 12 months, IQR 8-17). Median HC score was 4 (IQR 2-7). Seventy-six percent of families reported experiencing HFI (median = 6, IQR 3-9). Over 80% of parents often or always ate meals as a family and never or rarely engaged in 'parent-led' feeding (median = 1.75, IQR 1.00-2.50), or used '(non)-food as reward' (median = 1.33, IQR 1.00-2.00). '(Non)-food as reward' was positively correlated with HC (p = 0.016), and 'food to calm' was positively associated with HC (p = 0.004). 'Feeding on demand' was negatively associated with HC and HFI (p = 0.002). 'Persuasive feeding' was not associated with either. Findings suggest that HC had more influence than HFI on some nonresponsive feeding practices. Increasing levels of HC and HFI may result in less structured mealtimes. Interventions must consider how financial hardship, HFI and HC can impact parents' ability to engage in responsive feeding practices. This cross-sectional study examined feeding practices among Australian parents facing financial hardship. Over 75% were food insecure. While the meal environment supported responsive feeding, increasing household chaos and food insecurity led to fewer structured mealtimes and household chaos increased coercive practices such as using (non)-food rewards and food to calm. (© 2024 The Author(s). Maternal & Child Nutrition published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)