ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PARENTAL FEEDING STYLES AND FEEDING DIFFICULTIES AMONG PRESCHOOL CHILDREN IN DENPASAR, INDONESIA

Abstract

Background: Nutrition during the preschool period is crucial for growth and cognitive development. Feeding difficulties are common and can lead to malnutrition. Parental feeding style—authoritarian, democratic, or permissive—plays a major role in children’s eating behaviour. This study aimed to determine the association between parental feeding style and feeding difficulties among preschoolers in Denpasar, Indonesia.

Methods: A descriptive-analytic cross-sectional study was conducted between April and June 2025 in five kindergartens selected by cluster random sampling. A total of 196 children were recruited systematically. Data were collected using validated questionnaires on feeding style and feeding difficulty behaviour and analysed with SPSS 26 using univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistics.

Results: Feeding style was significantly associated with feeding difficulties (p < 0.001). Children of authoritarian parents showed the highest prevalence of feeding problems (95.0%, PR = 5.2, 95% CI 3.76–7.26), followed by permissive (52.5%, PR = 3.6, 95% CI 2.24–5.78), whereas democratic parenting showed the lowest rate (0.9%). Multivariate logistic regression confirmed feeding style (B = 0.499, p < 0.001) as a key determinant of feeding difficulty.

Conclusion: Parental feeding style is significantly associated with feeding difficulties among preschool children in Denpasar. Authoritarian and permissive styles increase risk, while democratic style is protective.