Examining the Longitudinal Impact of Within- and Between-Day Fluctuations in Food Parenting Practices on Child Dietary Intake: Protocol for a Longitudinal Cohort Study Within a Sample of Preschooler-Parent Dyads (Preprint)

Abstract

A healthful diet in early childhood is essential for healthy growth and disease prevention. Parents influence children’s diets through supportive (eg, structure and autonomy support) and unsupportive (eg, coercive control and indulgence) food parenting practices. Historically, much of this work has focused on parents’ “usual” feeding behaviors using survey methods. However, recent studies using ecological momentary assessment methods have allowed assessment of food parenting behaviors in “real time.” This work has revealed that the practices used by parents to feed children vary across contexts and are influenced by factors such as stress or time constraints. Research is needed to understand the dynamic nature of food parenting and its impact on children’s diets.

This study aimed to describe the methods and procedures used in the Preschool Plates cohort study, which aimed to (1) describe within- and between-day fluctuations in food parenting practices across time and context, (2) examine the longitudinal impact of within- and between-day fluctuations in food parenting practices on child dietary intake, and (3) identify momentary predictors of within- and between-day fluctuations in food parenting practices across time and context.

Preschool Plates is a longitudinal cohort study examining the impact of food parenting practices on the dietary intake of 3- to 5-year-old children. A total of 273 parent-preschooler dyads consented and enrolled, and 254 (93%) dyads completed baseline data collection. Dyads will be followed for 2 years using state-of-the-art measures, including an 8-day ecological momentary assessment protocol to assess food parenting, contemporary measures of food parenting, and 3 interview-led 24-hour dietary recalls, collected at baseline, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months. Child height and weight will be measured at 3 time points.

Recruitment for our baseline sample (N=254) occurred between October 2023 and September 2024. Participants will complete follow-up data collection after 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months. A racially and ethnically diverse cohort was enrolled, with 28.3% (72/254) of enrolled participants identifying as White and 71.7% (182/254) identifying as non-White.

Findings from the proposed study will inform the development of anticipatory guidance for feeding young children and randomized controlled trials designed to intervene on parents’ responses to momentary factors to encourage interactions with children around feeding that promote optimal diet quality. For example, findings could inform the development of an ecological momentary (ie, real time) intervention that delivers content to participants’ mobile devices in response to real-time assessments of context and circumstance.

DERR1-10.2196/73276