Feeding practices and concerns as mediators between maternal mental health and eating behaviours in early childhood
Feeding practices and concerns as mediators between maternal mental health and eating behaviours in early childhood
BACKGROUND: The impact of maternal mental health on child eating beyond infancy is understudied. This study explores whether maternal feeding practices and concerns mediate the association between maternal depression and anxiety symptoms and eating behaviours at age three years.
METHODS: Data from 409 mother-child dyads in the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes cohort were analysed. Maternal mental health was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, feeding practices and concerns with the Preschooler Feeding Questionnaire, and child eating behaviours with the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire. Structural equation modelling was used to test pathways.
RESULTS: Depression symptoms in mothers showed direct and indirect links to child eating behaviours. For example, maternal depression symptoms were directly associated with enjoyment of food (B = 0.011, p = 0.015) and indirectly with food responsiveness (B = 0.004, p = 0.034) via use of food to calm the child. Anxiety symptoms, however, had only indirect associations with child eating behaviours through maternal feeding concerns, not practices. For example, maternal anxiety symptoms were indirectly linked with food responsiveness through perceived difficulty in feeding (B = -0.001, p = 0.011).
CONCLUSIONS: Depression and anxiety symptoms influence children's eating behaviours differently. Anxiety symptoms were linked with child eating behaviours only through maternal feeding concerns, whereas depression symptoms were linked with child eating behaviours both directly and indirectly via feeding to calm the child. As maternal anxiety symptoms are linked with more child eating concerns, the validity of mother-reported child eating behaviours requires consideration.
Appetite, Depression, Eating behaviours, Feeding practices, Mental health
Lazarus, Monica A
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Franzolini, Beatrice
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Eriksson, Johan G
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Chong, Mary F-F
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Ying, Toh Jia
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de Iorio, Maria
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Meaney, Michael J
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Godfrey, Keith M
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Yap, Fabian
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Chen, Helen
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Chong, Yap Seng
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Kee, Michelle Z L
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Fogel, Anna M
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1 February 2026
Lazarus, Monica A
e76941d3-afab-47bc-8aa5-27e141249ad7
Franzolini, Beatrice
044cb246-4bb6-40af-b822-aa96fc3fa6f3
Eriksson, Johan G
eb96b1c5-af07-4a52-8a73-7541451d32cd
Chong, Mary F-F
1e188259-b1ab-4448-9e65-5b6a0fd99502
Ying, Toh Jia
68bb44b1-27ed-46f9-a7d8-d240ca9ce852
de Iorio, Maria
0502a19b-597b-4807-a948-3b7c8904a8b7
Meaney, Michael J
5c6db45a-1f5b-4e1f-8c0b-07a8f7b29f66
Godfrey, Keith M
0931701e-fe2c-44b5-8f0d-ec5c7477a6fd
Yap, Fabian
84f36f12-193e-44c8-80f9-b342241eb72f
Chen, Helen
b023a0af-2c72-4b98-9cdb-bbcc8232db05
Chong, Yap Seng
7043124b-e892-4d4b-8bb7-6d35ed94e136
Kee, Michelle Z L
b10a1ed0-e2ab-40bf-bba0-471e5f7ae601
Fogel, Anna M
0cc2a2d5-9714-4e28-bfb3-bab242ff2e9e
Lazarus, Monica A, Franzolini, Beatrice, Eriksson, Johan G, Chong, Mary F-F, Ying, Toh Jia, de Iorio, Maria, Meaney, Michael J, Godfrey, Keith M, Yap, Fabian, Chen, Helen, Chong, Yap Seng, Kee, Michelle Z L and Fogel, Anna M
(2026)
Feeding practices and concerns as mediators between maternal mental health and eating behaviours in early childhood.
Appetite, 217, [108340].
(doi:10.1016/j.appet.2025.108340).
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The impact of maternal mental health on child eating beyond infancy is understudied. This study explores whether maternal feeding practices and concerns mediate the association between maternal depression and anxiety symptoms and eating behaviours at age three years.
METHODS: Data from 409 mother-child dyads in the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes cohort were analysed. Maternal mental health was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, feeding practices and concerns with the Preschooler Feeding Questionnaire, and child eating behaviours with the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire. Structural equation modelling was used to test pathways.
RESULTS: Depression symptoms in mothers showed direct and indirect links to child eating behaviours. For example, maternal depression symptoms were directly associated with enjoyment of food (B = 0.011, p = 0.015) and indirectly with food responsiveness (B = 0.004, p = 0.034) via use of food to calm the child. Anxiety symptoms, however, had only indirect associations with child eating behaviours through maternal feeding concerns, not practices. For example, maternal anxiety symptoms were indirectly linked with food responsiveness through perceived difficulty in feeding (B = -0.001, p = 0.011).
CONCLUSIONS: Depression and anxiety symptoms influence children's eating behaviours differently. Anxiety symptoms were linked with child eating behaviours only through maternal feeding concerns, whereas depression symptoms were linked with child eating behaviours both directly and indirectly via feeding to calm the child. As maternal anxiety symptoms are linked with more child eating concerns, the validity of mother-reported child eating behaviours requires consideration.
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Accepted/In Press date: 8 October 2025
Published date: 1 February 2026
Additional Information:
Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 Elsevier Ltd. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.
Keywords:
Appetite, Depression, Eating behaviours, Feeding practices, Mental health
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 507042
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/507042
ISSN: 0195-6663
PURE UUID: 4abdaec1-d9cc-473d-a241-d764e84c89a6
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Date deposited: 25 Nov 2025 17:59
Last modified: 26 Nov 2025 02:33
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Contributors
Author:
Monica A Lazarus
Author:
Beatrice Franzolini
Author:
Johan G Eriksson
Author:
Mary F-F Chong
Author:
Toh Jia Ying
Author:
Maria de Iorio
Author:
Michael J Meaney
Author:
Fabian Yap
Author:
Helen Chen
Author:
Yap Seng Chong
Author:
Michelle Z L Kee
Author:
Anna M Fogel
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