[Current status of parental feeding behaviors in Urumqi, China, and its association with body mass index of children].

Objective: To investigate the association between parental feeding behaviors and body mass index (BMI) of children, and to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and intervention of overweight and obesity in children.

Methods: Stratified random cluster sampling was used to select 976 children from 7 kindergartens in Xinshi District of Urumqi, and a questionnaire survey and physical measurement were performed to obtain related data.

Results: A total of 976 questionnaires were distributed and 924 (94.7%) usable questionnaires were collected. The overall detection rates of underweight, overweight, and obesity in children were 3.1% (29 children), 9.2% (85 children), and 6.7% (62 children), respectively. The highest level of parental feeding behavior was monitoring, followed by restriction and pressure to eat. The parents of the Han children had significantly higher levels of restriction and pressure to eat than those of the Uygur children (P<0.01). As for parental feeding behaviors, restriction to eat was positively correlated with BMI of the Han and Uygur boys (P<0.01); pressure to eat was negatively correlated with BMI of the Han boys and girls (P<0.01) and was positively correlated with BMI of the Uygur boys and girls (P<0.01); monitoring was negatively correlated with BMI of the Han and Uygur boys and girls (P<0.05). Among the parents of the Han and Uygur boys, the parents of the overweight/obese children had significantly higher scores of restriction to eat than those of the children with normal weight (P<0.05); among the parents of the Uygur boys and girls, the parents of the overweight/obese children had significantly higher scores of pressure to eat than those of the children with normal weight (P<0.01); among the parents of the Uygur and Han boys and girls, the parents of the overweight/obese children had significantly lower scores of monitoring than those of the children with normal weight (P<0.01).

Conclusions: The parental feeding behavior is good in Urumqi, and the parental feeding behavior of the Uygur children is a little better than that of the Han children. Parental feeding behavior is closely correlated with BMI of children, and such correlation differs across ethnic groups and sexes. A high level of monitoring and low levels of restriction and pressure to eat may help to prevent and control the development of overweight and obesity in children.