LAUSR

Objective To examine changes in maternal feeding behaviors (MFB) and maternal feeding stress (MFS) among mothers of preschoolers in Saudi Arabia before and during the novel coronavirus pandemic. Methods This is a prospective cohort study including 64 mothers of preschoolers who were drawn from a sample of a 2019 study. Study questionnaire was completed during November–December 2020. MFB were assessed using the Child Feeding Questionnaire-Arabic (CFQ-A) and MFS was assessed using the MFS-mealtimes index and the MFS-maternal resentment/difficult child index. Paired samples t-tests were used to examine changes in MFB and MFS. Results Mothers have reported an increase in perceived responsibility (M = 4.09, SD = 0.87 vs. M = 4.33, SD = 0.59, P-value < 0.05) and monitoring (M = 4.23, SD = 0.73 vs. M = 4.48, SD = 0.66, P-value < 0.05) during the pandemic period compared to the period prior to the pandemic. Mothers have reported a decrease in use of food as a reward (M = 4.11, SD = 0.87 vs. M = 2.30, SD = 0.88, P-value < 0.001) and concern about child's diet (M = 3.34, SD = 1.12 vs. M = 2.55, SD = 1.04, P-value <0.001). There was an increase in MFS-maternal resentment/difficult child (M = 2.47, SD = 0.68 vs. M = 2.71, SD = 0.72, P-value < 0.01). Conclusions Findings can help inform future research aiming to measure the long-term effects of the pandemic on child outcomes.