Observed Mealtime Interactions, Meal Healthfulness, and Childhood Obesity Among Low‐Income Families
Authors' conclusion
Greater mealtime structure may be associated with an increased risk of childhood obesity when meals have low nutritional quality. Thus, various mealtime elements may interact in association with childhood obesity.
Study context
- Population
- Children of low-income families (M age = 5.9 years, SD = 0.7 years)
- Participants
- 273 children
- Outcome
- Child obesity status
Methodological detailsvideo-recorded mealtimes, Mealtime structure and behaviour management coded from video; meal nutritional quality assessed by Healthy Meal Index (HMI)
- Video-recorded mealtimes
- Mealtime structure and behaviour management coded from video; meal nutritional quality assessed by Healthy Meal Index (HMI)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Meal nutritional quality moderated the association between mealtime structure and obesity: interaction beta
−0.06, SE 0.03
p = 0.04
Greater mealtime structure and higher likelihood of obesity among children served low-nutritional-quality meals: OR
4.17 (1.13-15.50), p = 0.03 (95% CI)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Observed Mealtime Interactions, Meal Healthfulness, and Childhood Obesity Among Low‐Income Families. Pediatr Obes. Published 12 June 2026. doi:10.
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