Abstract
Childhood obesity is a health concern in Saudi Arabia. The purpose of the study was to: 1) identify internal consistency for Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ) scales, Children Negative Reactions to Food Scale, and Autonomy Scales in Saudi Arabian mother's with young children Who live in the United States;2) identify Saudi mothers' Child-Feeding Practices and Autonomy; 3) determine whether there is an association between CFQ scales, Negative Reactions to Food, and Autonomy to demographic factors; 4) determine whether there is an association between CFQ scales and Negative Reactions to Food to Autonomy. A convenience sample of 108 mothers from Saudi Arabia living in the US, with children between ages 2-6 years old was surveyed. The CFQ, questions on the Negative Reactions to Food, and questions on a decision making domain of autonomy were administered in an online questionnaire. Internal consistencies were computed using Cronbach's á, and Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to test the association among independent and dependent variables. Weak associations were identified for income and concern about weight (r = -0.20, p = .04), negative reactions to food and concern (r = .19, p = .05), and restriction (r = .20, p = .04). Feeding autonomy was positively associated with perceived responsibility (r = .20, p = .04). Saudi Arabian mothers reported use of restrictive and pressuring feeding practices, however further research is needed with mothers living in Saudi Arabia.
Keywords: Saudi Arabia, parental practices, child weight, mothers' perceptions of feeding practices