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Dietary intake of certain food groups and/or nutrients during pregnancy has been associated with maternal and infant pregnancy-related outcomes. Few studies have examined how behavioral and environmental factors interact to influence prenatal diet. We examined associations between eating behaviors (dietary restraint, emotional eating, external eating) and food security status regarding dietary intake of selected nutrients/food groups during pregnancy. Participants (N = 299; 29% Non-Hispanic Black; 16% ≤ high school education; 21% food insecure) completed validated questionnaires to assess estimated daily intake of food groups/nutrients during pregnancy [e.g., added sugars from sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), % of energy from fat, fruit and vegetable (FV) intake] via National Cancer Institute Dietary Screener Questionnaires); eating behaviors (Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire); and food security status (6-item USDA Food security Module). Separate hierarchical multiple regressions for each dietary outcome were conducted controlling for maternal age, education, income-to-needs, race/ethnicity, pre-pregnancy BMI, and gestational diabetes. A significant interaction was found between dietary restraint and food security status on added sugar intake from SSBs (β = -0.15, p = 0.02). The negative association between restraint and added sugar from SSBs was stronger among food insecure participants (β = -0.47, p < 0.001 vs. β = -0.15, p = 0.03). Higher external eating (β = 0.21, p < 0.01) and lower restraint (β = -0.13, p = 0.03) were associated with higher % of energy from fat and living in a food insecure household (β = -0.15, p = 0.01) was associated with lower FV intake. Understanding dietary intake during pregnancy requires consideration of the broader context in which eating behaviors occur., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest .The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Maternal overreliance on feeding to soothe to relieve infants' distress has been associated with higher rates of childhood obesity. Limited research has examined infant and maternal characteristics that predict maternal feeding to soothe. The goal of the present study was to examine the role of infant (temperament) and maternal (depression, sleep problems) characteristics as predictors of maternal feeding to soothe. Mothers (N = 176) completed the Food to Soothe Scale, the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised Very Short Form, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Questionnaire when their infants were 6 months old. Hierarchical multiple regression was used. Maternal depression only predicted feeding to soothe among mothers receiving WIC benefits, and this association was no longer significant when maternal sleep problems were added to the model. Maternal sleep problems predicted higher feeding to soothe as a main effect and in interaction with infant negative emotionality, maternal depression, and to a lesser extent WIC status. Specifically, infant negative emotionality was only associated with greater feeding to soothe among mothers with higher sleep problems, and sleep problems were only associated with greater feeding to soothe among depressed mothers and mothers receiving WIC benefits. The findings suggest that addressing multiple stressors, including maternal sleep, in the early postnatal period may strengthen the effectiveness of early child obesity interventions that target maternal feeding behaviors., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Excessive infant weight gain is a strong predictor of later obesity. While controlling feeding has been linked to negative weight outcomes, research has not considered associations between infant appetite and maternal feeding simultaneously in relation to infant weight. This longitudinal study examined infant food responsiveness and slowness in eating as predictors of infant weight outcomes and tested controlling feeding styles (restrictive and pressuring) as moderators. Data came from a diverse sample of mothers and their infants participating in an ongoing longitudinal study. Mothers (n = 159) reported infant appetite and feeding styles at 2 postnatal timepoints (2-month visits and 6-month visits). The infant weight outcomes included change in weight-for-age z-scores (WAZ-change) and rapid weight gain (RIWG; WAZ-change ≥ 0.67 SD) from birth to the second postnatal visit. Data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple and logistic regressions, controlling for birthweight, gestational age, maternal race/ethnicity, feeding mode, and residing with an intimate partner. Over 25% of infants exhibited RIWG. Greater infant food responsiveness predicted both greater infant weight gain and RIWG status. Infant food responsiveness and slowness in eating interacted with controlling feeding styles in a unique way. Infants with higher food responsiveness whose mothers were less restrictive had greater weight gain (b = 0.61, p < 0.001) and increased probability of RIWG (b = 2.71, p < 0.01) than infants with more restrictive mothers. Higher slowness in eating was associated with a lower RIWG probability among infants of mothers with lower pressuring feeding (b = -1.86, p < 0.05). For infants with a large appetite, some level of restrictive feeding may be beneficial for preventing excessive weight gain while pressuring may exacerbate the positive association between faster eating and RIWG., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Prevention of body dissatisfaction development is critical for minimizing adverse effects of poor body esteem on eating behaviors, self-esteem, and overall health. Research has examined body esteem and its correlates largely in pre-adolescents and adolescents; however, important questions remain about factors influencing body esteem of younger children. The main purpose of this study was to test moderation by children's gender and weight status of the relation of maternal controlling feeding practices to 1st graders' body esteem. The Body Esteem Scale (BES) and anthropometric measurements were completed during one-on-one child interviews at school. Mothers completed the Child Feeding Questionnaire (restriction, monitoring, concern, self-assessed maternal weight). A total of 410 mother/child dyads (202 girls) participated. Percent of children classified as overweight (BMI-for-age ≥85th) was: girls - 29%; boys - 27%. Gender moderated the relation between restriction and body esteem (β = -.140, p = .05), with maternal restriction predicting body esteem in girls but not boys. The hypothesized three-way interaction among gender, child weight status, and monitoring was confirmed. Monitoring was significantly inversely related to body esteem only for overweight/obese girls (b = -1.630). The moderating influence of gender or gender and weight status on the link between maternal feeding practices and body esteem suggests the importance of body esteem interventions for girls as early as first grade., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The aim of the present study was to examine the relations of parenting style, parent response to negative child emotion, and family emotional expressiveness and support to child emotional eating. Mothers (N=450) completed questionnaires and their 6-8-year-old children (N=450) were interviewed. Results showed that emotional eating was negatively predicted by authoritative parenting style and family open expression of affection and emotion, and positively predicted by parent minimizing response to child negative emotion. Results suggest the need for early prevention/intervention efforts directed to these parenting and family variables., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)