(P28-046-23) Bidirectional Associations Between Parental Pressure To Eat and Children’s Satiety Responsiveness and Food Responsiveness: The Moderating Effects of Child Temperament

Objectives: To examine the bidirectional associations between parental pressure to eat and children’s satiety responsiveness and food responsiveness and identify the moderating effects of child temperament on their relationships.

Methods: A convenience sample of 242 parents with preschool children was recruited (Shanghai, China) in this longitudinal study. Parental self-reported pressure to eat, child satiety responsiveness and food responsiveness, and covariates were collected using validated questionnaires at baseline and 6-month follow-up. Cross-lagged analyses using structural equation modeling (SEM) were performed to examine the bidirectional relationships between parental pressure to eat and children’s satiety responsiveness and food responsiveness. Multi-group SEM was conducted to examine the moderating effects of child temperament (i.e., inhibitory control and anger/frustration) on their relationships. Child temperament scores were categorized into low and high groups in multi-group modeling by cut-off scores of the 27^th and 73^rd percentile.

Results: Cross-lagged analyses showed parental pressure to eat (β = 0.112, P < 0.05) positively predicted child food responsiveness (i.e., parent-driven association); child satiety responsiveness (β = 0.189, P < 0.01) positively predicted parental pressure to eat (i.e., child-driven association). Child satiety responsiveness was more likely to increase the likelihood of pressure to eat in the group of children with a lower level of inhibitory control (β = 0.210, P < 0.05). Child satiety responsiveness was more likely to increase the likelihood of pressure to eat in the group of children with a higher level of anger/frustration (β = 0.363, P < 0.001).

Conclusions: The cross-lagged models analyzed in our study helped to explain their interrelationships. There were statistically significant parent-driven and child-driven associations. It also suggested the moderating role of child temperament between them. Our findings may help guide further interventions to reduce parental pressure to eat, which should consider the role of child temperament and provide parents with reasonable coping strategies in response to child problematic eating (e.g., satiety responsiveness).

Funding Sources: This study received no external funding.