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Category: Project

Description: Background: Individuals with lower executive function (EF) have poorer quality dietary intake and are more likely to experience obesity, in part because of their limited ability to resist impulses and implement routines that promote healthy eating. It is unknown whether these negative impacts of lower EF among parents extend to the parenting practices and routines that support children’s healthy eating and weight. The purpose of the current study is to examine associations between mothers’ EF and characteristics of the family food environment that support children’s healthy eating. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in August 2017 via Amazon Mechanical Turk of US-based mothers of 2 to 9-year-old children (N=492). EF was measured using the Behavior Rating of Executive Function-Adult Version. Family food environment characteristics were measured via self-report surveys. Standardized, linear regression models were used to examine covariate-adjusted associations and the potential for different associations between mothers’ EF and family food environment characteristics by family socio-demographics. Results: Low EF among mothers was associated with less engagement in positive food-related parenting practices and less presence of healthy family food environment characteristics including providing family meals, implementing consistent mealtime schedules and structure, and avoiding using food to regulate children’s emotions. Few differences in these associations were observed by mothers’ educational attainment, household income-to-needs ratio, or child age. Conclusions and Implications: Maternal EF is associated with several features of the family food environment. Lower EF among mothers may interfere with their ability to implement recommending parenting practices that support children’s healthy eating and weight.