Eating behaviors of toddlers and young children. Social inequities and themediating role of parental self-efficacy

Background. Studies have repeatedly pointed out to the relation between socioeconomic background and health behavior. For German samples, immigrant background has been identified as a risk factor for poorer health. Health psychology models emphasize the importance of parental self-efficacy for children's health behavior. Objectives. This study examines if parental self-efficacy mediates the relation between the immigrant background, operationalized via language background, and a healthy eating behavior of young children. Methods. Mediator analyses were performed to test the hypothesis. Data were collected from 184 families with children aged 3 to 4 years via interviews and questionnaires. All families took part in the German parenting program Chancenreich. Results. Results replicate earlier findings that immigrant background is significantly related to poorer eating habits even when controlling for socioeconomic background. The mediation analyses, however, could show that the negative relation between immigrant background and eating behavior was fully mediated by parental self-efficacy. Conclusion. Results provide support for intervention program aiming at the enhancement of parental self-efficacy. This might be especially relevant for parents with immigrant background. The goal of such programs should be to reduce social disparities in health outcomes.