Child, Caregiver, Family, and Social-Contextual Factors to Consider when Implementing Parent-Focused Child Feeding Interventions

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Interventions that aim to alter child eating behaviors often focus on parents as a proximal influence. Yet, parents can be difficult to engage. Therefore, intervention recommendations are often not implemented as designed. The goal of this review is to highlight factors at multiple contextual levels that are important to consider when developing interventions to address child eating, due to their implications for overcoming parent engagement challenges.

Recent Findings

Intervention studies suggest that parents are often the key to successfully changing child eating behaviors, and many interventions focus on feeding. Factors such as child eating phenotypes, parent stress, family system dynamics, and sociodemographic constraints have also been identified as shaping food parenting.

Summary

Challenges at multiple contextual levels can affect the likelihood of parent engagement. Addressing factors at the child-, parent-, family-, and broader social-contextual levels of influence is essential in order to promote best practices for parent-focused feeding interventions.

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