Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Appetite. 2019 Jun 1;137:21-26. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2019.02.004. Epub 2019 Feb 14.
The family food environment plays an important role in supporting children's dietary quality, regulating eating behaviors, and promoting a healthy weight status. However, relatively little is known regarding parent-level factors that support or hinder parents' ability to create health-promoting family food environments. The current study examines whether executive function among mothers, or mothers' capacity to control their thoughts, emotions, and actions, is associated with qualities of the family food environment that support children's healthy eating and weight. Cross-sectional data were collected from 492 US-based mothers of 2 to 9-year-old children in August 2017 (Mean maternal age = 34.2 years (SD = 6.7), 76.5% White race). Mothers' difficulties with executive function were measured using the Behavior Rating of Executive Function-Adult Version and family food environment characteristics were measured via psychometrically-sound, self-report surveys. Standardized, linear regression models were used to examine covariate-adjusted associations between mothers' executive function difficulties and family food environment characteristics, as well as the potential for differences in these associations by family sociodemographic characteristics. Mothers with more executive function difficulties consistently reported less use of recommended food-related parenting practices and less healthful home food environment characteristics including providing frequent family meals, implementing consistent mealtime schedules and structure, and avoiding using food to regulate children's emotions. No differences in these associations were observed by mothers' educational attainment, household income-to-needs ratio, or child age. Results suggest that lower executive function may interfere with mothers' ability to create family food environments that support children's healthy eating and weight.
家庭食物环境在支持儿童饮食质量、调节饮食习惯和促进健康体重方面发挥着重要作用。然而，关于支持或阻碍父母创造促进健康家庭食物环境的能力的父母层面因素，人们了解得相对较少。本研究考察了母亲的执行功能（即控制自己的思想、情绪和行为的能力）是否与支持儿童健康饮食和体重的家庭食物环境质量有关。2017 年 8 月，从美国 492 名 2 至 9 岁儿童的母亲那里收集了横断面数据（母亲平均年龄为 34.2 岁（标准差为 6.7），76.5%为白种人）。母亲的执行功能困难程度使用行为评定执行功能成人版进行测量，家庭食物环境特征通过心理测量可靠的自我报告调查进行测量。使用标准化线性回归模型来检验母亲执行功能困难与家庭食物环境特征之间的协变量调整关联，以及这些关联在家庭社会人口统计学特征方面的差异的可能性。执行功能困难程度较高的母亲一致报告较少使用推荐的与食物相关的育儿实践，家庭食物环境特征也不太健康，包括经常提供家庭餐、执行一致的用餐时间表和结构，以及避免使用食物来调节孩子的情绪。这些关联在母亲的教育程度、家庭收入与需求比或孩子年龄方面没有差异。结果表明，较低的执行功能可能会干扰母亲创造支持儿童健康饮食和体重的家庭食物环境的能力。
