Influence of maternal reflective functioning on mothers’ and children's weight
A follow‐up study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11275997 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Gaia de Campora (0000-0001-9565-3255, Department of Psychology University of Turin Turin Italy, corresponding author), Luciano Giromini (0000-0002-9540-4803, Department of Psychology University of Turin Turin Italy), Viviana Guerriero (0000-0002-9931-8988, Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology Sapienza University Rome Italy), Carina Chiodo (Department of Nutrition and Food Science California State University Chico California), Giulio Cesare Zavattini (0000-0002-3484-6106, Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology Sapienza University Rome Italy), Giovanni Larciprete (Department of Obstetrician and Gynecology Fatebenefratelli Hospital Rome Italy) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 40 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 862-873 |
| Publication date | 2019-11-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Infant Mental Health Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0163-9641 • E-ISSN: 1097-0355 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/imhj.21819 |
| PMID | 31392750 |
| OpenAlex | W2967670589 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 60 |
Based on cross‐sectional research linking poor reflective functionining (RF) to eating disorders, the current follow‐up study tested whether maternal RF would explain the variance of mothers’ and children's weight beyond the effects of maternal emotional dysregulation. During pregnancy (Time 1 [T1]), 51 women were administered the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and interviewed using the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). Seven months after delivery (Time 2 [T2]), mother–baby dyads who remained in the study ( n = 44) were videotaped (Feeding Scale) during their feeding interaction. Last (Time 3 [T3]), the weight of the 34 children who were still in the study was collected at 3 years of age. Maternal AAI‐RF at T1 did not correlate with the DERS at T1 nor with the quality of the feeding interacions at T2. However, it correlated, significantly, with maternal body mass index (BMI) at T1, r = −.298, P = .034, and marginally significantly with baby's BMI at T3, r = −.296, P = .089. Moreover, multiple regression models showed a trend indicating that maternal AAI‐RF might explain the variance of mothers’ and children's weight beyond the effects of maternal emotional dysregulation. These findings suggest that working on maternal mentalization might contribute to helping prevent childhood obesity from pregnancy
Analysis of variance · Attachment measures · Attachment theory · Body mass index · Developmental psychology · Maternal sensitivity · Mentalization · Obesity · Pregnancy · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Clinical Psychology · Eating Disorders and Behaviors · Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum · Medicine · Psychology · Endocrinology · Internal Medicine
Mentalizing in Clinical Practice
Affect Regulation, Mentalization, and the Development of the Self
Maternal reflective functioning, mother–infant affective communication, and infant attachment
Parent‐Child Feeding Strategies and Their Relationships to Child Eating and Weight Status
The relation of attachment status, psychiatric classification, and response to psychotherapy.
Cultural Adaptation of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale
The parent–infant dyad and the construction of the subjective self
Influence of Parents’ Eating Behaviors and Child Feeding Practices on Children's Weight Status
Maternal reflective functioning, attachment, and the transmission gap
Emotion Regulation Across the Life Span
Emotion-Related Regulation
Predictors of maternal control of feeding at 1 and 2 years of age
Emotion-Related Self-Regulation and Its Relation to Children's Maladjustment
Reflective functioning
Multidimensional Assessment of Emotion Regulation and Dysregulation
Mentalized affectivity
Feasibility and Acceptability of Alternate Methods of Postnatal Data Collection
The New Factor Structure of the Korean Version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (K-Ders) Incorporating Method Factor
A longitudinal study on emotional dysregulation and obesity risk
Emotions and eating in everyday life
Stability and continuity of parentally reported child eating behaviours and feeding practices from 2 to 5 years of age
The capacity for understanding mental states
A feeding scale for research and clinical practice to assess mother—infant interactions in the first three years of life
Standards, accuracy, and questions of bias in Rorschach meta-analyses
Attachment in anorexia nervosa
The Role of Attachment and Reflective Functioning in Emotion Regulation
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |