DOI: 10.2337/dc05-2354 © 2006 by the American Diabetes Association
Mealtime Interactions Relate to Dietary Adherence and Glycemic Control in Young Children With Type 1 Diabetes
1 Division of Child Behavioral Health, Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, C.S. Mott Childrens Hospital and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan Address correspondence and reprint requests to Susana R. Patton, PhD, Division of Child Behavioral Health, University of Michigan, 1924 Taubman Ctr., Box 0318, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0318. E-mail: susanap{at}med.umich.edu
OBJECTIVEThis study examined the relationships between parent-child mealtime interactions and dietary adherence and glycemic control in young children with type 1 diabetes. It was hypothesized that young children who exhibited disruptive mealtime behaviors would have more dietary deviations (poorer dietary adherence) and poor glycemic control. It was also hypothesized that parents of young children who used ineffective/coercive parenting strategies at mealtimes would have children with more dietary deviations and poor glycemic control. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSA total of 35 families of children (aged 2.27.9 years) with type 1 diabetes were recruited from a pediatric hospital. Families had at least three meals videotaped in their home, which were coded for parent, child, and eating behaviors, using the Dyadic Interaction Nomenclature for Eating. Childrens dietary adherence was assessed according to deviations from the prescribed number of carbohydrate units per meal. Childrens average glycemic excursion was assessed prospectively for 2 weeks, using a standardized home blood glucose meter. RESULTSFindings demonstrated significant positive relationships between childrens mealtime behavior, dietary deviations, and glycemic control. An examination of parent behaviors revealed significant positive correlations between parents use of ineffective/coercive parenting strategies and childrens dietary deviations and glycemic control. CONCLUSIONSThis was the first study to examine the relationship between parent-child mealtime interactions and health outcomes in young children with type 1 diabetes. The mealtime problems examined can be improved through specific behavioral interventions. Future research is needed to examine how parent-child interactions at mealtimes relate to childrens health outcomes to inform clinical care.
Abbreviations: BPFAS, Behavioral Pediatrics Feeding Assessment Scale DINE, Dyadic Interaction Nomenclature for Eating
Type 1 diabetes is a common chronic illness and may be increasing in incidence among children <7 years old (1,2). Diabetes management in young children presents many challenges that can impact health outcomes (35). Physiologically, children in this age range are frequently more insulin sensitive than older children with type 1 diabetes, which may complicate families ability to regulate childrens blood glucose levels through a combination of insulin usage and carbohydrate intake (5,6). Developmentally, young children with type 1 diabetes may be at an increased risk for poor treatment adherence because of aspects of normal child development, including increased independence seeking, transient food preferences, emotional lability, and behavioral resistance (7). Within the behavioral science literature, research has demonstrated that parents of young children with type 1 diabetes commonly report mealtimes and adherence to the diabetes dietary recommendations to be among the most difficult components of their childs care (3). Based on this, our previous research has systematically sought to examine the mealtimes of young children with type 1 diabetes to determine whether mealtimes are different for these families compared with families of control children. Specifically, in a study of 40 parents of young children with type 1 diabetes and 40 parents of control children, we found that parents of young children with type 1 diabetes perceived more child mealtime behavior problems and reported more parenting stress than parents of control subjects (8). However, in a follow-up study of 26 families of young children with type 1 diabetes and 26 control families, using direct observation of mealtimes, we found no differences in the frequency of mealtime behaviors (9). Thus, the outcomes of these studies suggest that although parents of young children with type 1 diabetes may commonly perceive child mealtime behavior problems, the actual frequency of disruptive mealtime behaviors is similar to children without type 1 diabetes, suggesting a bias in parents perceptions of mealtimes. These previous studies have not examined the potential impact of childrens behavior at mealtimes on health outcomes, such as childrens dietary adherence and blood glucose control. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between parent-child mealtime interactions and childrens dietary adherence and blood glucose control in a sample of young children with type 1 diabetes. Based on the literature, the following specific hypotheses were tested. 1) Young children who exhibit disruptive mealtime behaviors will have more dietary deviations (poorer dietary adherence). 2) Young children who exhibit disruptive mealtime behaviors will have poor metabolic control, as measured by average daily blood glucose levels over a 2-week period. 3) Parents of young children who have more dietary deviations (poorer dietary adherence) will engage in ineffective/coercive behaviors at mealtimes and will report problems at mealtimes. 4) Parents of young children who engage in ineffective/coercive behaviors at mealtimes will have children with poor metabolic control.
This study recruited 35 young children and their parents from the pediatric diabetes center at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center. The eligibility criteria for this study included: childs age between 2 and 8 years old, a confirmed diagnosis of type 1 diabetes for at least 1 year, child had no other diseases/conditions know to affect growth, and the family was English speaking. A patient database maintained by the pediatric diabetes center was used to generate a preliminary list of 109 eligible families. From that list, families were contacted to participate in a research project examining eating behaviors and parents concerns about hypoglycemia, which involved questionnaires and videotaping in the home. A total of 83 parents who were contacted agreed to complete the questionnaires (76% response rate). In addition, the first 35 families who consented to completing the questionnaires and videotaping were enrolled in the current study. Families who elected not to participate reported concern with having mealtimes videotaped and/or the extra time needed to complete the diet records as their primary reasons for declining participation. For this study, children were not excluded based on the type of insulin management prescribed. In total, 27 children followed a conventional insulin therapy regimen, which consisted of 23 injections each day of short- and intermediate-acting insulin and a regular schedule of feedings planned throughout the day to coincide with insulin peaks. Eight children were managed according to an intensive insulin therapy regimen. Children following an intensive regimen took either multiple daily injections of short-acting insulin before each feeding and one injection of a long-acting insulin (i.e., Lantus) each day to manage glucose levels between feedings (n = 1) or used a continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion pump to administer insulin throughout the day (n = 7). The ratio of young children who followed a conventional insulin regimen to children who followed an intensive regimen in this study closely approximated the patient population of the pediatric diabetes center at the time of the study (75% conventionally managed). The studys purpose and procedures were approved by the Cincinnati Childrens Hospital institutional review board before subject recruitment. This study followed a standardized protocol for obtaining data on childrens dietary intake and mealtime behaviors from three representative family meals, which has been discussed previously (9). For this study, the mean number of home visits needed to obtain at least three representative meals was 3.11 ± 0.33. Families diet records of the videotaped meals were reviewed by a registered dietitian and analyzed, using the Minnesota Nutrition Data System (1996 version; Nutrition Coordinating Center, University of Minnesota). To measure childrens average glycemic control, families were given one FreeStyle (TheraSense, Alameda, CA) home blood glucose meter to test their childs blood glucose during the study. Families were instructed to use this meter to test their childs blood glucose at least four times daily for 2 weeks, during which time they also participated in the mealtime videotaping. Children tested their blood glucose a mean of 4.8 ± 1.8 times per day during the recording period. Childrens mean daily blood glucose level was used as a dependent measure in this study. All children had their weight and height measured at the pediatric diabetes center according to a standardized protocol within the 2 weeks of study participation (9,10). Childrens anthropometric data were evaluated using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention anthropometric software program (2000 version). Families were reimbursed $70 for participating in this project.
Dependent measures
Observed mealtime behaviors.
Meals were viewed a minimum of three times by trained observers. A primary observer coded all of the videotaped meals. Interrater reliability was assessed, using a random subset of the videotapes (33%), which were scored independently by a second observer. The average
Parents perceptions of mealtime behaviors.
Data analysis
Participants Table 1 presents descriptive statistics for the 35 children who participated in this study.
Mealtime characteristics Table 2 summarizes the mealtime characteristics of families who participated in this study. Families of young children added a mean of 0.20 ± 0.30 carbohydrates units and/or deleted a mean of 0.37 ± 0.74 carbohydrate units from their videotaped meals; this corresponded to an average addition of 1 carbohydrate unit every four meals and a deletion of 1 carbohydrate unit every three meals. Overall, the observed mealtime behaviors of families in the present sample were consistent with published data of similarly aged children with type 1 diabetes (9).
Childrens mealtime behaviors and health outcomes Consistent with hypothesis 1, correlations revealed a positive association between several disruptive child behaviors and the number of carbohydrate units deleted from childrens videotaped meals. Specifically, children who were conventionally managed and who ate fewer than the recommended number of carbohydrate units at meals (e.g., had more carbohydrate units deleted) tended to be away from the table (r = 0.87, P < 0.01), were noncompliant with parental commands to eat (r = 0.62, P < 0.01), and spit out food (r = 0.69, P < 0.01). Consistent with hypothesis 2, children who were disruptive during meals had poorer average daily blood glucose levels. These analyses found that children who were noncompliant with parental commands to eat (r = 0.55, P < 0.01) and who tended to be away from the table (r = 0.61, P < 0.01) had higher average daily levels. A statistical trend was found between children who spit out food and childrens average daily levels (r = 0.38, P = 0.02). Contrary to expectations, no relationships were found between child refusals and childrens dietary adherence or average blood glucose levels. Also, no relationships were found between childrens mealtime behaviors and their average calorie intake at meals.
Parents mealtime behaviors and childrens health outcomes
Previous research has found no differences in mealtime behaviors for young children with type 1 diabetes, despite parents perceptions of mealtime behavior problems (8,9). No study has examined the relationships between mealtime behaviors in young children with type 1 diabetes and health outcome variables, such as dietary adherence and glycemic control. Results from this prospective study of mealtime behaviors in families of young children with type 1 diabetes found significant correlations between several disruptive child mealtime behaviors and childrens dietary adherence and average blood glucose control. Similarly, significant correlations were found between several coercive/ineffective parenting strategies and childrens dietary adherence and average blood glucose control. Specific child and parent mealtime behaviors examined in this study were selected based on research and behavioral theory related to parent-child feeding interactions (7,13,15). As a measure of disruptive child behaviors, we examined childrens frequency of leaving the table during mealtimes, refusing parental commands to eat, refusing or complaining about foods, and spitting out foods. Our previous work in families of young children with type 1 diabetes has demonstrated that parents commonly report problems with children leaving the table at mealtimes and complaining during meals (8). These behaviors are disruptive primarily because they inhibit optimal food intake and can prolong mealtimes. Similarly, children who spit out their food may not eat enough at mealtimes or may render their food inedible, which in the long run may force parents to make alternative meals or provide their child with a snack after the meal. With respect to parent behaviors, we defined ineffective/coercive parenting strategies as coaxing, interrupted commands, physical prompts, and feeds. Coaxing is a common feeding strategy used by parents of young children (8,9,13). This strategy is inherently ineffective because it is a passive technique that does not provide children with a clear message of the behaviors expected of them and the consequences of noncompliance. Likewise, interrupted commands are ineffective because they do not give children opportunity to comply with parental commands and to learn the cause and effect relationship of compliance during a mealtime. The use of physical prompts (i.e., loading food onto the childs fork) and feeds are coercive because they can undermine the childs independence during the meal, which may promote disruptive behavior. Other problematic child and parent behaviors that were not assessed in this study include subtle disruptive behaviors, such as how readily children come to mealtimes, drinking rather than eating, the length of time between childrens bites, and parents use of threats to control mealtimes (8). Future research is needed to examine these behaviors within the context of family mealtime interactions in young children with type 1 diabetes and to examine their relationships with childrens health outcomes. This is the first study to consider the potential health implications of common disruptive child mealtime behaviors in young children with type 1 diabetes. Developmental challenges of the young childhood period can present many unique mealtime challenges for families, regardless of childrens chronic illness status (7). In this period, children must learn to follow a structured feeding schedule. In addition, neophobia and unpredictable changes in childrens food preference and/or intake are common (7). Because of the potential health implications of poor parent-child mealtime interactions in families of young children with type 1 diabetes, it is likely that these families may benefit from behavioral-based interventions to improve mealtimes. Within the behavioral science literature, research has demonstrated that common disruptive child behaviors can be effectively reduced by establishing specific rules and consequences for mealtimes and teaching parents behavioral strategies for meals (16).
We report on the relationships between mealtime behaviors and childrens dietary adherence and blood glucose control in a sample of young children with type 1 diabetes. During recruitment, all eligible families were invited to participate, and the first 35 families to consent to the study were enrolled. The entire recruitment phase for this project lasted Although parents of young children with type 1 diabetes perceive more mealtime behavior problems than parents of matched control subjects, our research has demonstrated no differences in mealtime behaviors (8,9). The results of the current study may offer some explanation for these differences. Findings of this study demonstrate that mealtime interactions in families of young children with type 1 diabetes relate to key health outcome variables, including childrens dietary adherence and average blood glucose control. Future research should attempt to replicate these relationships in a larger and more diverse sample, develop interventions to help parents of young children with type 1 diabetes effectively manage mealtime behaviors, and examine childrens glycemic control from a multifactorial perspective including childrens mealtime behaviors, food choices, insulin behaviors, and families psychosocial functioning.
This research was supported in part by grants R01-DK54915 and K24-DK59973 (to S.W.P.) and grant F32 DK61121 (to S.R.P.) from the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Additional support was provided by U.S. Public Health Service Grant M01-RR 08084 from the National Center for Research Resources of the National Institutes of Health. We thank TheraSense for their donation of FreeStyle blood glucose meters and testing supplies.
A table elsewhere in this issue shows conventional and Système International (SI) units and conversion factors for many substances. The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact. Received for publication December 1, 2005. Accepted for publication February 8, 2006.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||