Parental intuitive eating behaviors and their association with infant feeding styles among low-income families

Introduction: Feeding styles, the attitudes and behaviors parents use to direct their child's eating, shape a child's ability to self-regulate food intake and affects their future risk of obesity. This study examined how parental intuitive eating, where parents follow their own hunger and satiety cues, relates to infant feeding styles in a low-income, predominately Black population. Methods: Parents of healthy infants aged 5.5-12.5 months were recruited during well-child visits at two urban primary care clinics. Parent's intuitive eating behaviors and infant feeding styles were measured using the Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (IES-2) and the Infant Feeding Style Questionnaire (IFSQ), respectively. Multivariable regression analysis, controlling for maternal and child demographic variables, was conducted to determine the relationship between parent intuitive eating behaviors and five infant feeding styles: restrictive, pressuring, indulgent, laissez-faire, and responsive. Results: 201 parents completed the study, 90% were mothers and 69% were Black. Average infant age was 8.8 +/- 2.0 months. Parents who reported relying on their own hunger and satiety cues when eating were more likely to feed their infant in a responsive style (beta 0.10 +/- 0.04, p < 0.05). Parents who reported eating unconditionally, not labeling foods as forbidden, were more likely to feed their infant in a laissez-faire (beta 0.16 +/- 0.06, p < 0.05) and indulgent (beta 0.09 +/- 0.03, p < 0.05) feeding style. Conclusions: Parental intuitive eating behaviors are associated with both responsive and non-responsive infant feeding styles. Future studies should examine how parental intuitive eating and infant feeding styles affect infant growth trajectories.