Does exposure to controlling parental feeding practices during adolescence predict disordered eating behaviors 8 years later in emerging adulthood?

Objectives: To examine how exposure to controlling parental feeding practices during adolescence is associated with disordered eating behaviors in emerging adulthood.

Methods: Data were analyzed from 543 males and 769 females (M at baseline = 14.5 years, M at follow-up = 22.7 years) and their parents who participated in the population-based EAT 2010-2018 and Project F-EAT studies. Parental food restriction and pressure-to-eat practices were assessed with items from the Child Feeding Questionnaire. Regression models predicted chronic dieting, unhealthy weight control behaviors, and binge eating, adjusted for demographic covariates, adiposity, and outcome at baseline.

Results: Overall, exposure to controlling parental feeding practices during adolescence was not associated with disordered eating behaviors at eight-year follow-up, with one exception. Among males, maternal pressure-to-eat was associated with greater risk of chronic dieting in emerging adulthood.

Conclusions: By emerging adulthood, other factors may be more salient with regard to disordered eating outcomes than parental feeding practices during adolescence.