Maternal perception, concern and dissatisfaction with child weight and their association with feeding practices in the Generation XXI birth cohort

What a mother thinks about her child's weight status might influence what and how she feeds her child. We examined the association between maternal perception, concern and dissatisfaction with child weight alongside feeding practices. Participants were from the Generation XXI birth cohort (n = 3233). A validated version of the Child Feeding Questionnaire and the Overt/Covert Control scale were used. Associations were evaluated by linear regression models (beta coefficients and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI) with Bonferroni correction). Perceived underweight was associated with practices promoting food intake, such as higher pressure to eat at ages 4 and 7 years (beta = 0 center dot 229; 95 % CI: 0 center dot 059, 0 center dot 398 and beta = 0 center dot 190; 95 % CI:0 center dot 005, 0 center dot 376, respectively) and lower restriction at age 4 (beta = -0 center dot 175; 95 % CI: -0 center dot 0310, -0 center dot 039). At age 7, perceived overweight was associated with higher covert control (beta = 0 center dot 203; 95 % CI: 0 center dot 029, 0 center dot 376). Mothers who were concerned about child weight reported higher restriction (beta = 0 center dot 226; 95 % CI: 0 center dot 142, 0 center dot 310 at 4 years and beta = 0 center dot 261; 95 % CI: 0 center dot 169, 0 center dot 353 at 7 years) and covert control (beta = 0 center dot 183; 95 % CI: 0 center dot 083, 0 center dot 282 at 4 years and beta = 0 center dot 171; 95 % CI: 0 center dot 073, 0 center dot 269 at 7 years). Maternal desire for a heavier child was associated with higher pressure to eat at both ages (beta = 0 center dot 285; 95 % CI: 0 center dot 163, 0 center dot 406 and beta = 0 center dot 393; 95 % CI: 0 center dot 266, 0 center dot 520), while the desire for a thinner child was related to higher covert control at 7 years of age (beta = 0 center dot 158; 95 % CI: 0 center dot 001, 0 center dot 316). Maternal perceptions and concern for child weight status are associated with feeding practices independently of actual weight status.