Latent profile analysis of caregiver responsive feeding practices and the  relationship with social-emotional development of toddlers

CAO Zhihui; LI Zhihui; KONG Yan; LIU Yan; ZHANG Wenyue; YU Guiling

doi:10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-0482

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Chinese Journal of Child Health Care ›› 2026, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (2) : 128-132. DOI: 10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-0482

Column on Early Development & Nurturing Care

Latent profile analysis of caregiver responsive feeding practices and the relationship with social-emotional development of toddlers

CAO Zhihui¹, LI Zhihui², KONG Yan^2,3, LIU Yan⁴, ZHANG Wenyue¹, YU Guiling^2,4

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Abstract

Objective To analyze the latent profiles of responsive feeding among caregivers of toddlers and their relationship with children's social-emotional development, so as to provide a reference for improving caregivers' responsive feeding practices and enhancing toddlers' social-emotional competence. Methods A convenience sampling method was used to select 310 primary caregivers of toddlers from the child healthcare departments of two tertiary hospitals in Qingdao between November 2024 and March 2025.The General Information Questionnaire, Caregiver Responsive Feeding Scale, and Infant-Toddler Social-Emotional Assessment were used as survey tools. Latent profile analysis was performed using the three dimensions of the Caregiver Responsive Feeding Scale as indicators. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were conducted to identify factors influencing caregiver profiles, while one-way ANOVA was used to examine differences in toddlers' social-emotional development across different categories. Results Caregivers' responsive feeding patterns were classified into three groups: a low responsiveness-low interaction feeding group (49, 15.8%), a moderate-responsiveness feeding group (192, 61.9%), and a high responsiveness-high interaction feeding group (69, 22.3%). Caregivers who were grandparents were significantly more likely to be classified into the low-responsiveness-low-interaction feeding group (OR=4.779, 95% CI: 2.164~10.553,P<0.001) and less likely to be classified into the high-responsiveness-high-interaction group (OR=0.393, 95% CI: 0.180~0.856, P<0.05). Caregivers from urban families were more likely to belong to the high-responsiveness-high-interaction feeding group (OR=2.976, 95% CI: 1.354~6.540, P=0.007). Significant differences were observed among feeding pattern groups in total social-emotional competence scores and in five specific domains—compliance, attention, mastery motivation, empathy, and prosocial peer relations (F=6.253~47.834, P<0.01). Conclusions There is marked heterogeneity in caregivers' levels of responsive feeding, accompanied by differences in social-emotional development across groups of young children. Child healthcare professionals should implement targeted intervention strategies tailored to the heterogeneous characteristics of responsive feeding, supporting caregivers in improving responsive feeding practices and thereby promoting children's social-emotional development.

Key words

responsive feeding / social and emotional abilities / latent profile analysis / latent class / toddlers

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CAO Zhihui, LI Zhihui, KONG Yan, LIU Yan, ZHANG Wenyue, YU Guiling. Latent profile analysis of caregiver responsive feeding practices and the relationship with social-emotional development of toddlers[J]. Chinese Journal of Child Health Care. 2026, 34(2): 128-132 https://doi.org/10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-0482

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