Cited by 157Obesity, Physical Activity, DietNutrition, Health and Food BehaviorChild Nutrition and Feeding Issues

Food parenting and child snacking: a systematic review

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Blaine, Rachel E., Kachurak, Alexandria, Davison, Kirsten K., Klabunde, Rachel, Fisher, Jennifer Orlet·2017·International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

Abstract

BACKGROUND: While the role of parenting in children's eating behaviors has been studied extensively, less attention has been given to its potential association with children's snacking habits. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic review to describe associations between food parenting and child snacking, or consuming energy dense foods/foods in between meals. METHODS: Six electronic databases were searched using standardized language to identify quantitative studies describing associations of general and feeding-specific parenting styles as well as food parenting practices with snacking behaviors of children aged 2-18 years. Eligible peer-reviewed journal articles published between 1980 and 2017 were included. Data were extracted using a standard protocol by three coders; all items were double coded to ensure consistency. RESULTS: Forty-seven studies met inclusion criteria. Few studies focused on general feeding (n = 3) or parenting styles (n = 10). Most studies focused on controlling food parenting practices (n = 39) that were not specific to snacking. Parental restriction of food was positively associated with child snack intake in 13/23 studies, while pressure to eat and monitoring yielded inconsistent results. Home availability of unhealthy foods was positively associated with snack intake in 10/11 studies. Findings related to positive parent behaviors (e.g. role modeling) were limited and yielded mixed results (n = 9). Snacking was often assessed using food frequency items and defined post-hoc based on nutritional characteristics (e.g. energy-dense, sugary foods, unhealthy, etc.). Timing was rarely included in the definition of a snack (i.e. chips eaten between meals vs. with lunch). CONCLUSIONS: Restrictive feeding and home access to unhealthy foods were most consistently associated with snacking among young children. Research is needed to identify positive parenting behaviors around child snacking that may be used as targets for health promotion. Detailed definitions of snacking that address food type, context, and purpose are needed to advance findings within the field. We provide suggested standardized terminology for future research.

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  1. [93]Blake CE, Younginer, N., Fisher, J.O, Blaine, R.E, Orloski, A., Adler, R., Bruton, Y.P, Davison, K.K.: Child snacking contexts and purposes and their associated nutritional quality among low-income caregivers of preschoolers. In International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA) Annual Meeting; San Diego, CA. 2014 of Conference: 431.

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Authors
Blaine, R. E., Kachurak, A., Davison, K. K., Klabunde, R., & Fisher, J. O.
Affiliations
  • California State University System (US)
  • Temple University (US)
  • Harvard University (US)
Corresponding author
Blaine, Rachel E.
Venue
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
Published
2017-11-03
Volume
14
Issue
1
Pages
146-146
ISSN
1479-5868 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2767181049
Cited by
157
References
95
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 34 · 2020: 29 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 1
FWCI
2.31
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • TUScholarShare (Temple University) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues
Keywords
parental feeding practices, parental pressure to eat, parental supervision, parental role modeling, child eating behavior, energy-dense foods
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Child, Child, Preschool, Diet, Food Preferences, Health Promotion, Humans, Parent-Child Relations, Parenting, Snacks, Observational Studies as Topic

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