Abstract
Background
There are few validated instruments measuring parental beliefs about parent−child
feeding relations and child compliance during meals.
Objective
To test the validity of the Feeding Demands Questionnaire, a parent-report instrument
designed to measure parents’ beliefs about how their child should eat.
Methods
Participants were 85 mothers of 3- to 7-year-old same-sex twin pairs or sibling pairs,
and their children. Mothers completed the eight-item Feeding Demands Questionnaire
and the Child Feeding Questionnaire, plus measures of depression and fear of fat.
Statistical analyses
Psychometric evaluations of the Feeding Demands Questionnaire included principal components
analysis, Cronbach’s α for internal consistency, tests for convergent and discriminant
validities, and Flesh-Kincaid for readability.
Results
The Feeding Demands Questionnaire had three underlying factors: anger/frustration,
food amount demandingness, and food type demandingness, for which subscales were computed.
The Feeding Demands Questionnaire showed acceptable internal consistency (α ranging
from .70 to .86) and was written at the 4.8th grade level. Mothers reporting greater
anger/frustration during feeding were more likely to pressure their children to eat,
while those reporting greater demands about the type of foods their children eat were
more likely to monitor child fat intake. Mothers reporting greater demands about the
amount of food their children eat were more likely to restrict eating, pressure children
to eat, and monitor their fat intake.
Conclusions
The Feeding Demands Questionnaire appears valid for assessing maternal beliefs that
children should comply with rules for eating and frustration during feeding. Different
demand beliefs can underlie different feeding practices.
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Biography
M. S. Faith is an assistant professor of Psychology in Psychiatry and Pediatrics, the Center for Weight and Eating Disorders, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia.
Biography
M. Storey is a school psychologist, in Monterey, CA.
Biography
T. V. E. Kral is an assistant professor of Nutrition in Psychiatry, Center for Weight and Eating Disorders, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia.
Biography
A. Pietrobelli is a senior physician, Pediatric Unit, University of Verona School of Medicine, Verona, Italy.
Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
September 7,
2007
Identification
Copyright
© 2008 American Dietetic Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
