Abstract

This study aimed to identify the moderating effect of mothers' feeding attitudes on the relationship between children's difficult temperaments and eating behaviors. We surveyed 297 mothers with children aged 3 to 4 years. The results showed that children's difficult temperament was positively correlated with picky eating, food reactions, beverage cravings, emotional overeating, and emotional undereating, and it was negatively correlated with encouragement of variety and interest in feeding. Emotional feeding moderated the relationship between difficult temperament and both emotional overeating and undereating. Additionally, encouraging interest in feeding moderated the relationship between difficult temperament and food reactions and beverage cravings. This study provides evidence for therapeutic approaches to enhance adaptive eating behaviors in children with difficult temperaments.