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Maternal attitudes about children's communication of hunger
Author(s) -
SigmanGrant Madeleine,
Scott Barb
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.5.a685
Subject(s) - developmental psychology , test (biology) , psychology , medicine , social psychology , paleontology , biology
Allowing, and teaching, young children to self‐regulate food intake by responding to internal hunger and fullness cues are frequent nutrition messages. This child obesity prevention strategy assumes that parents believe preschoolers can correctly interpret and communicate these cues and that these abilities are enhanced by parental teaching. To test these assumptions, 113 low‐income mothers recruited from WIC (81%) and Food Stamp offices (19%) were queried regarding what they believe about their child's hunger communication and about child and adult roles in food intake regulation. When asked different ways their child lets them know they are hungry, 91% agreed the child simply says so, 72% agreed their child looks for food, becomes irritable (42%), or says their tummy hurts (40%). When a child says, “I'm hungry,” 80% believed them. Fewer mothers agreed the child might want their attention (41%) or be bored (40%). The majority of mothers believed very or somewhat strongly that children know when they are hungry (97%) or full (95%) and can learn when they are hungry (95%) and full (90%), However, about a third of mothers did not agree that parents help children learn these skills. Nutrition educators can acknowledge that low‐income mothers believe their children know how or can learn to interpret internal hunger and fullness signs while also reinforcing the need for parental assistance.