Identifying Parental Feeding Patterns in a Spanish Sample of Toddlers Using a Latent Class Analysis
ABSTRACT Parental feeding styles are an important factor influencing child development. Traditionally, they have been classified into four styles based on cut‐off points for responsiveness and demandingness. However, alternative methods, such as latent class analysis (LCA), allow for the detection o...
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| Format: | Article |
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Wiley
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Maternal and Child Nutrition |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13799 |
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| author | Mar Lozano‐Casanova Silvia Escribano Isabel Sospedra Antonio Oliver‐Roig Miguel Richart‐Martinez |
| author_facet | Mar Lozano‐Casanova Silvia Escribano Isabel Sospedra Antonio Oliver‐Roig Miguel Richart‐Martinez |
| author_sort | Mar Lozano‐Casanova |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Parental feeding styles are an important factor influencing child development. Traditionally, they have been classified into four styles based on cut‐off points for responsiveness and demandingness. However, alternative methods, such as latent class analysis (LCA), allow for the detection of underlying homogeneous populations. The aims of this study are to: (a) identify different parental feeding styles in a Spanish sample using LCA; (b) explore the characteristics of the classes of different parenting styles, taking into account sociodemographic and psychological variables; and (c) compare the classification of parental feeding styles by assessment method: LCA versus the median split cut‐off point to determine high and low levels for each dimension. A cross‐sectional study (n = 774, including fathers and mothers of toddlers) was conducted to perform a one‐step LCA with covariates, using items that assess the demandingness and responsiveness feeding dimensions. Cross‐tabulations were performed to compare the use of LCA versus the median cut‐off point for assessing parental feeding styles/patterns. Four different patterns emerged from the LCA, characterised by high or moderate scores for responsiveness and varying scores for demandingness. These were labelled as the Moderately Authoritative, Authoritative, Moderate, and Indulgent classes. Mothers were more likely to belong to the Indulgent class, and high levels of parental stress increased the likelihood of parents belonging to the Moderate class. The classification of participants was not consistent between the two methods. Authoritarian and uninvolved feeding behaviours were not detected using LCA. In conclusion, gender and parental stress were factors that may help to explain the distribution of parents across feeding styles. These variables should therefore be considered when studying different populations. Furthermore, LCA could be utilised to design more accurate intervention strategies by helping to identify common needs among parents. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-53495a4381354402afae1dae1fb4d8d5 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1740-8695 1740-8709 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Maternal and Child Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj-art-53495a4381354402afae1dae1fb4d8d52025-08-20T03:06:32ZengWileyMaternal and Child Nutrition1740-86951740-87092025-04-01212n/an/a10.1111/mcn.13799Identifying Parental Feeding Patterns in a Spanish Sample of Toddlers Using a Latent Class AnalysisMar Lozano‐Casanova0Silvia Escribano1Isabel Sospedra2Antonio Oliver‐Roig3Miguel Richart‐Martinez4Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences University of Alicante San Vicente del Raspeig SpainDepartment of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences University of Alicante San Vicente del Raspeig SpainDepartment of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences University of Alicante San Vicente del Raspeig SpainDepartment of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences University of Alicante San Vicente del Raspeig SpainDepartment of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences University of Alicante San Vicente del Raspeig SpainABSTRACT Parental feeding styles are an important factor influencing child development. Traditionally, they have been classified into four styles based on cut‐off points for responsiveness and demandingness. However, alternative methods, such as latent class analysis (LCA), allow for the detection of underlying homogeneous populations. The aims of this study are to: (a) identify different parental feeding styles in a Spanish sample using LCA; (b) explore the characteristics of the classes of different parenting styles, taking into account sociodemographic and psychological variables; and (c) compare the classification of parental feeding styles by assessment method: LCA versus the median split cut‐off point to determine high and low levels for each dimension. A cross‐sectional study (n = 774, including fathers and mothers of toddlers) was conducted to perform a one‐step LCA with covariates, using items that assess the demandingness and responsiveness feeding dimensions. Cross‐tabulations were performed to compare the use of LCA versus the median cut‐off point for assessing parental feeding styles/patterns. Four different patterns emerged from the LCA, characterised by high or moderate scores for responsiveness and varying scores for demandingness. These were labelled as the Moderately Authoritative, Authoritative, Moderate, and Indulgent classes. Mothers were more likely to belong to the Indulgent class, and high levels of parental stress increased the likelihood of parents belonging to the Moderate class. The classification of participants was not consistent between the two methods. Authoritarian and uninvolved feeding behaviours were not detected using LCA. In conclusion, gender and parental stress were factors that may help to explain the distribution of parents across feeding styles. These variables should therefore be considered when studying different populations. Furthermore, LCA could be utilised to design more accurate intervention strategies by helping to identify common needs among parents.https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13799feeding patternsfeeding styleslatent class analysisparentsperson‐centred approach |
| spellingShingle | Mar Lozano‐Casanova Silvia Escribano Isabel Sospedra Antonio Oliver‐Roig Miguel Richart‐Martinez Identifying Parental Feeding Patterns in a Spanish Sample of Toddlers Using a Latent Class Analysis Maternal and Child Nutrition feeding patterns feeding styles latent class analysis parents person‐centred approach |
| title | Identifying Parental Feeding Patterns in a Spanish Sample of Toddlers Using a Latent Class Analysis |
| title_full | Identifying Parental Feeding Patterns in a Spanish Sample of Toddlers Using a Latent Class Analysis |
| title_fullStr | Identifying Parental Feeding Patterns in a Spanish Sample of Toddlers Using a Latent Class Analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Identifying Parental Feeding Patterns in a Spanish Sample of Toddlers Using a Latent Class Analysis |
| title_short | Identifying Parental Feeding Patterns in a Spanish Sample of Toddlers Using a Latent Class Analysis |
| title_sort | identifying parental feeding patterns in a spanish sample of toddlers using a latent class analysis |
| topic | feeding patterns feeding styles latent class analysis parents person‐centred approach |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13799 |
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