Maternal self-efficacy is associated with mother-child feeding practices in middle childhood

Abstract

Objective: Maternal self-efficacy (MSE) is a well-established correlate of health outcomes in young children, though little is known about this association in older children. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine how MSE relates to mother-child feeding practices in middle childhood.

Methods: A total of 306 children ages 8-12 (Mean age = 9.72, SD = 0.91, 52.9% female) and their mothers participated in this study. Mothers completed the New General Self-Efficacy Scale and the Child Feeding Questionnaire. A series of hierarchical regression models were used to examine how MSE related to maternal food restriction, maternal pressure to eat, and maternal food monitoring.

Results: After accounting for maternal Body Mass Index (BMI), education, and age, and child Body Mass Index Percentile (BMI%ile) and age within the first step of each regression model, MSE emerged as a significant predictor for maternal restriction of foods (p = .024) and maternal food monitoring (p = .048). MSE was not significantly related to maternal pressure to eat.

Conclusions: This study is the first to establish that higher MSE is significantly related to healthier mother-child feeding practices in middle childhood, providing preliminary justification for enhancing MSE within comprehensive family interventions to support child weight-related health.

Keywords: Childhood obesity; Health promotion; Parent-child feeding practices; Self-efficacy.