Association between mothers’ feeding practices and food neophobia in primary school-aged children from the Pomeranian Province of northern Poland

Introduction and Objective.Food neophobia-reluctance to try unfamiliar foods-is common in school-aged children and may reduce diet quality.Parental feeding practices strongly influence children's eating behaviours.The aim of the study is to assess food neophobia in children, based on mothers' reports, and to analyze maternal feeding strategies in relation to neophobia levels. Materials and Method.The study included 1,113 mothers of children aged 7-15.Data were collected using the Child Food Neophobia Scale (CFNS) and a shortened Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ).Statistical analyses included Kruskal-Wallis and ANOVA tests with post hoc analyses, linear regression, and factor analysis (p < 0.05).Results.Low and high food neophobia were observed in 42.86% and 42.58% of children, respectively; 14.56% showed a neutral level.Mothers most frequently used encouragement and modelling.Higher neophobia was associated with more frequent use of monitoring and emotion regulation strategies (p < 0.05).Regression analysis (R² = 0.29) showed positive associations between neophobia and emotion regulation, control, food as a reward, and food environment (p < 0.05).Factor analysis identified two feeding styles: control-oriented (monitoring, control, restriction) and supportive (encouragement, modelling, environment).Mothers of highly neophobic children more often used control-oriented practices, while mothers of children with low neophobia preferred supportive strategies.Conclusions.Food neophobia is highly prevalent among Polish school-aged children.Maternal feeding practices are strongly related to its level.Supportive strategies are associated with lower neophobia, whereas restrictive and emotionbased practices are linked to higher neophobia.Interventions should promote supportive feeding approaches to increase dietary diversity.