Parental Concerns About Child Disordered Eating Among Youth With High Weights Participating in a Motivational Interviewing-Based Behavioral Intervention

Objective: To characterize parental concerns about child disordered eating among youth with high weights in a motivational interviewing-based behavioral intervention, exploring associations with sociodemographic characteristics and study retention. Design: Data were from the Population Effects of Motivational Interviewing on Pediatric Obesity in Primary Care study, a cluster-randomized controlled trial. Participants: Participants (n = 214) were English/Spanish-speaking parents/guardians of children aged 3–11 years with a body mass index ≥ 85th percentile, randomized to the intervention. Intervention: Six remote counseling calls with registered dietitians and 4 in-person visits with primary care providers. Variables Measured: Four screening questions captured parental concerns about child disordered eating (loss of control eating, weight loss, weight/shape preoccupation, dietary restriction) at baseline and follow-up. Analysis: Bivariate analyses examined associations between baseline concerns and sociodemographic characteristics and study retention. McNemar's chi-square test compared concerns at baseline and follow-up. Results: At baseline, 44.9% of parents reported ≥ 1 disordered eating concern, with higher concerns seen among parents describing their child as overweight or obese (57.1% vs 29.8%, P < 0.001). Baseline concerns were not associated with study retention and did not change significantly throughout the intervention. Conclusions and Implications: Future research could benefit from examining the influence of behavioral intervention components on disordered eating risk over time and exploring the application of staged screening approaches among diverse groups.