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Table 4 Sociodemographic characteristics and feeding practices for full sample and by level of maternal depressive symptoms 1

From: Associations between maternal depressive symptoms and child feeding practices in a cross-sectional study of low-income mothers and their young children

 

Total

Lower level maternal depressive symptoms2

Elevated maternal depressive symptoms3

P-value4

n = 295

n = 204

n = 91

Sociodemographic characteristics

    

Child age, months

70.83 ± 8.32

70.60 ± 8.09

71.33 ± 8.84

NS

Child sex male

152 (52)

104 (50.98)

48 (53)

NS

Number of older siblings

0.92 ± 1.01

0.90 ± 0.99

0.95 ± 1.06

NS

Maternal age, n = 294

30.99 ± 7.03

31.02 ± 6.87

30.93 ± 7.41

NS

Maternal BMI, n = 293

33.08 ± 9.36

32.60 ± 9.07

34.16 ± 9.95

NS

Maternal education ≤ high school

141 (48)

90 (44.12)

51 (56)

NS

Mother Hispanic/non-white

95 (32)

66 (32.35)

29 (32)

NS

Mother single parent

132 (45)

88 (43.14)

44 (48)

NS

Feeding practices

    

Questionnaires

    

Perceived responsibility

4.45 ± 0.65

4.46 ± 0.66

4.43 ± 0.65

NS

Pressure to eat

2.72 ± 1.07

2.61 ± 1.04

2.97 ± 1.11

<.01

Restriction, n = 294

3.31 ± 0.92

3.24 ± 0.94

3.48 ± 0.86

<.05

Monitoring

4.01 ± 1.03

3.99 ± 1.06

4.05 ± 0.99

NS

Demandingness

2.55 ± 0.55

2.49 ± 0.52

2.67 ± 0.60

<.01

Concern about child weight

1.72 ± 0.91

1.69 ± 0.95

1.80 ± 0.83

NS

Perceived child weight

   

NS

 Underweight

54 (18)

34 (17)

20 (22)

 

 Normal

203 (69)

142 (70)

61 (67)

 

 Overweight

38 (13)

28 (14)

10 (11)

 

Food Fussiness, n = 291

2.73 ± 0.77

2.70 ± 0.80

2.78 ± 0.67

NS

Interviews, n = 293

    

Authority

   

< .001

 Low

70 (24)

36 (18)

34 (38)

 

 High

223 (76)

167 (82)

56 (62)

 

Confidence

   

NS

 Not confident

65 (22)

40 (20)

25 (28)

 

 Confident

228 (78)

163 (80)

65 (72)

 

Investment

   

NS

 Removed

61 (21)

36 (18)

25 (28)

 

 Mildly

143 (49)

101 (50)

42 (47)

 

 Deeply

89 (30)

66 (33)

23 (26)

 

Home meal observations, n = 270

    

Child always eats at table

221 (82)

158 (85)

63 (75)

<.05

TV always audible during meal

76 (28)

44 (24)

32 (38)

<.05

Mother always eats with child

161 (60)

121 (65)

40 (48)

<.01

Laboratory eating interactions, n = 228

    

Encouragements

Familiar food

4.46 ± 4.59

4.26 ± 4.30

4.84 ± 5.11

NS

 

Unfamiliar food

6.96 ± 7.51

7.17 ± 7.34

6.56 ± 7.87

NS

Discouragements

Familiar food

1.96 ± 3.15

2.09 ± 3.39

1.69 ± 2.64

NS

 

Unfamiliar food

1.24 ± 2.34

1.15 ± 2.22

1.40 ± 2.57

NS

  1. 1Total sample size n = 295 unless otherwise stated. Values expressed as “number of participants (%)” or “mean ± SD”. Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding. NS = Non-significant.
  2. 2Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CES-D) score < 16.
  3. 3CES-D score ≥ 16.
  4. 4P-values calculated using t-tests for continuous variables, Chi-square tests for categorical variables, and unadjusted Poisson regression for count data.