Understanding how Fathers Influence Their Child’s Eating Behaviour

Abstract from So JTH, Nambiar S, Byrne R, Gallegos D, Baxter KA. Dads at Mealtimes: Associations between Food Security, Household and Work Chaos, and Paternal Feeding Practices among Australian Fathers Living with Disadvantage. Nutrients. 2024;16(2):205.

Optimal nutritional status during childhood is important in supporting growth and development, including enabling appropriate cognitive attainment. Early nutritional status can influence long-term health and educational outcomes [1]. In early childhood, parents play a key role in influencing food choice [2]. Interventions have typically targeted the mother, assuming that the mother figure may have the greater influence [3]. However, this model overlooks the pivotal role that fathers may play in influencing their child’s food choice and thus nutritional well-being [4]. An increasing number of studies suggest that fathers can make a significant contribution to the family food environment [5]. The rise in maternal employment over recent decades has led to an increase in fathers’ parental responsibility [6]. Although mothers tend to still be the primary caregiver, fathers may be involved in several aspects of child feeding, from decision-making about the foods available to the interaction with the child during mealtimes [4]. Yet, research studies targeting childhood nutrition and feeding practices have primarily focused on mothers [3].

Systematic reviews on behavioural and public health interventions show that fathers are under-represented in childhood nutrition research [7]. A systematic review of control trials evaluating interventions targeting childhood obesity found that in studies requiring the participation of only one parent, fathers represented less than 6% of participants. Where both parents were given the choice to participate, 92% of the included studies report findings from mothers only [8]. Most research on child feeding has been conducted with mothers, and results obtained have often been used as a proxy for both parents [9].

Sadly, levels of food insecurity are increasing in families across Europe, with concerns that children living in food insecure households may be at greater risk of nutritional deficiency [10, 11]. Food and nutrition insecurity occurs when there is inadequate access to food of sufficient quantity and quality to meet nutritional needs and dietary preferences. We know that children living in families from a lower socioeconomic background in the UK are more likely to be living with obesity and have a poorer diet quality [12, 13]. Children in reception (first year of primary school; aged 4–5 years) living in the most deprived areas in England are more than twice as likely to be living with obesity compared to those living in the least deprived areas [13]. Financial insecurity may limit access to perishable and nutritious foods such as vegetables and fruits, meat, and fish and instead lead to the purchasing of cheaper, more processed HFSS (high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar) foods which tend to be energy-dense but nutrient-poor. The variety of foods offered may also be restricted, and yet repeated exposure to foods of different tastes and textures is so important in helping the younger child to develop a greater level of food acceptance [14].

Understanding how fathers living in low-income families influence their children’s feeding practices could be important in designing future family-focussed interventions.

The recent study conducted in Australia [15] used an online survey to explore the involvement of 264 fathers in the feeding of their children. Around 65–70% of fathers reported active involvement in daily family meal preparation and child feeding. Almost three-quarters of the sample were living with food insecurity which clearly affected their influence on feeding practices. Whilst food insecurity had a greater impact on the parents compared to the children, the fathers living with food insecurity were found to be more likely to adopt persuasive feeding practices with younger children, and a greater level of parent-led feeding was observed. A parental dominance over children’s eating is often described as a form of ‘coercive’ control and does not align with the preferred responsive feeding where the child is able to better self-regulate their feeding according to their appetite and nutritional needs. Coercive control is more likely to lead to the child eating for reasons other than hunger, and the wider literature does suggest that fathers adopt more coercive control strategies compared to mothers, whether influenced by food insecurity or not [16].

Responsive feeding is characterised by the caregiver providing structure and routine [17]. Sadly, any level of disadvantage, including financial hardship and social exclusion, can disrupt the household routine and harmony, leading to poorer family and child health and educational outcomes [18]. Food insecurity is a feature of disadvantage and can add further family instability and dysfunction. Studies among mothers suggest that food insecurity leads to less responsive feeding and more coercive control practices [19]. The Australian study of fathers [15] found that parental stress and a depressed mood reported earlier in the day was associated with less homemade foods and more ‘ready’ meals in the evening within food insecure households but not food secure families. Food insecure households are likely to experience greater levels of stress which may lead to family conflict, and they may also experience time constraints [20]. All these factors may lead to a level of household chaos and reduce the frequency of family meals which are so important in establishing healthier eating patterns [21]. Eating whilst watching television has been found to be associated with poorer diet quality among children, including more frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and high-fat/high-sugar foods and fewer fruits and vegetables [22].

The key role fathers play in their children’s eating behaviours goes beyond feeding practices. We know from other studies that a father’s weight status, their dietary intake and food behaviours, and their general parenting skills can influence their child’s eating patterns, including intake of vegetables and fruits, and also their child’s weight status [23, 24]. Findings from the ‘Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids’ intervention, developed to help reduce levels of overweight and obesity, revealed that as fathers changed their eating patterns to include more fruits and vegetables there was a notable change in child eating patterns [25]. Fathers in the Australian study were significantly involved in child feeding but faced challenges related to food insecurity and household chaos, impacting paternal feeding practices across key developmental stages [15]. The findings provide valuable insight for designing interventions and highlight the importance of including and supporting fathers with responsive feeding. There is much scope to build fathers’ capacity and confidence to provide nurturing care for optimal child nutrition and development. Strategies need to consider fathers’ experiences of socioeconomic disadvantage to mitigate any negative impact of food insecurity on child feeding. Structure and routine and the importance of family meals should be encouraged. From a policy perspective, ensuring stable financial and social access to nutritious foods is vital for promoting family well-being. Public health dietitians are well placed to include both mothers and fathers in family interventions that aim to improve child nutrition.

I hereby declare that there are no conflicts of interest with regard to this commentary