TABLE 2.

Description of the 27-item Toddler Feeding Behavior Questionnaire (TFBQ)¹

Responsive Feeding Behaviors (8 items, 2 subscales)
1. How often do you talk to toddler during meals?
2. How often do you say something positive about toddler’s eating?
3. How often do you arrange food to make it more interesting for toddler?
4. How often do you talk to toddler about the food he or she is eating?
5. How often can you tell when toddler is full?
6. How often do you eat with toddler?
(Responsive verbal praise during feeding behaviors)
7. How often do you praise toddler for eating?
8. How often do you encourage toddler to try a new food?
Forceful Feeding Behaviors (4-items)
9. How often do you yell or threaten toddler to get him/her to eat enough?
10. If toddler is not hungry, how often do you get him/her to eat anyway?
11. How often do you try hard to get toddler to eat a new food within one meal?
12. How often do you physically struggle with toddler to eat?
Restrictive Feeding Attitudes (5-items)
13. How often are you concerned that toddler is eating too much?
14. How often are you concerned that toddler will become overweight?
15. How often are you concerned that toddler eats too many high fat foods?
16. How often are you concerned that toddler would eat too much if you did not limit?
17. How often are you concerned that toddler will have to diet?
Indulgent Feeding Behaviors (6-items, 2 subscales)
(Reward based indulgent behaviors)
18. How often do you promise a non-food reward if toddler eats?
19. How often do you offer sweets if toddler behaves well?
20. How often do you offer toddler sweets as reward for eating?
(Low mealtime routine based indulgent behaviors)
21. How often do you let toddler eat while watching TV or playing?
22. How often do you let toddler eat whatever he or she wants?
23. How often do you immediately make something else if toddler doesn’t like what is being served?
Uninvolved Feeding Behaviors (4-items, reversed coded)
24. How often are you responsible for the amount of food toddler is served?
25. How often are you responsible for the kinds of foods toddler is served?
26. How often do you know what toddler eats throughout the day?
27. How often do you know when toddler is eating?

¹A 27-item, 5-point Likert scale [never (0), seldom (1), half of the time (2), most of the time (3), and always (4)] was employed to evaluate each feeding behavior construct; with higher scores indicating a more positive feeding behaviors. Items within the uninvolved feeding behavior construct were reversed coded.