OverviewThis study is led by graduate student Bri Grosskopf and her advisor Dr. Lenna Ontai. The purpose of this study is to examine the ways in which parents facilitate the socialization of internal states through aspects of general parenting and food parenting. More specifically, we will look at how parents support child emotion regulation and appetite self-regulation.
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Why food regulation? |
Mexican origin children are at disproportionate risk of overweight and obesity compared to most other racial and ethnic groups, increasing the likelihood of mental and physical health problems (e.g., hypertension, metabolic disease, diabetes, psychosocial problems) in adulthood. Early childhood is an important period in which habits and eating behaviors are becoming established. While much of the feeding literature has focused on impacts of parent feeding practices and child eating behaviors, there has been less research regarding children’s internal states around appetite. It has been widely agreed upon that children are born with innate abilities to regulate their energy intake. However, some evidence suggests that appetite-self regulation, defined as the ability to initiate and terminate eating in response to hunger and satiety cues, tends to decline across early childhood.
This study will provide further insight into the ways in which parents may intentionally or unintentionally socialize their children around their affective and physiological states. Many studies have examined the practices parents hold around food regarding control of the food environment, the structure provided and the promotion and support of autonomy, but there is much less known about the ways in which parents cue children into their own body’s signals and how that shapes what children eat. Additionally, this study will expand on the bridge between general parenting practices and food related parenting practices, to further consider how they relate. Next, this research will provide more context around appetite self-regulation, and possible explanations for why it appears to decline across childhood. Lastly, the population sample includes Mexican origin families, and therefore this research may provide additional context into the ways in which the socialization of emotions and appetite self-regulation may be influenced by parenting practices that are influenced by diverse cultures, values and societal influences. |
Our Approach |
We are calling Cali Babies families with a child between the ages of 18 months and 6 years. We ask a series of questions surrounding parenting, food parenting, and child development. We also ask an open ended question asking about the child.
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