Maternal Food-Related Practices, Quality of Diet, and Well-Being: Profiles of Chilean Mother-Adolescent Dyads

Abstract

Objective: To identify mother-adolescent dyad profiles according to food-related parenting practices and to determine differences in diet quality, family meal frequency, life satisfaction, and sociodemographic characteristics.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Mothers and children were surveyed in their homes or at schools in Temuco, Chile.

Participants: A total of 300 mothers (average age, 41.6 years) and their adolescent children (average age, 13.2 years; 48.7% female).

Main outcome measures: Maternal feeding practices using the abbreviated Family Food Behavior Survey (AFFBS), life satisfaction, food-related and family life satisfaction, diet quality, and eating habits.

Analysis: Principal component factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used to verify Family Food Behavior Survey components in mother and adolescent subsamples. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to identify profiles.

Results: Three AFFBS components were detected: maternal control of child snacking behavior, maternal presence during eating, and child involvement in food consumption. Cluster analysis identified 3 mother-adolescent dyad profiles with different food-related parenting practices (P ≤ .001), mother (P ≤ .05) and child (P ≤ .001) diet quality, frequency of shared family meals (P ≤ .001), and mother (P ≤ .001) and child (P ≤ .05) life satisfaction levels.

Conclusions and implications: Results indicated that maternal well-being increased with an increased frequency of shared mealtime. Significantly, in contrast to the findings of previous studies, greater control over child eating habits was shown to affect adolescent well-being positively. These findings, among others, may contribute to the development of strategies for improving diet quality, overall well-being, and well-being in the food and family domains for all family members.

Keywords: family meals; food-related parenting practices; profiles; subjective well-being.