An Overview of Problematic Eating and Food-Related Behavior Among Foster Children: Definitions, Etiology, and Interventi
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An Overview of Problematic Eating and Food-Related Behavior Among Foster Children: Definitions, Etiology, and Intervention Carolyn M. Casey • Catherine Cook-Cottone Meredith Beck-Joslyn
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Published online: 26 May 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012
Abstract Although several studies have identified problematic eating and foodrelated behaviors (e.g., Bulimia Nervosa, hoarding, obesity) as significant concerns among children in foster care, there is little evidence-based guidance on how practitioners may appropriately identify and treat children with these concerns. The current review describes the scope of eating and food-related difficulties among foster children, discusses potential etiological factors associated with these behaviors, reviews prevention and intervention strategies, and highlights implications for future research. All of these topics are aimed toward child welfare workers who are likely to encounter these eating patterns in practice. In addition to addressing problematic behaviors, this review also incorporates strategies for the promotion of healthy nutrition among families in the welfare system. Keywords
Foster care Eating Nutrition
Introduction It is well established that children in foster care are at increased risk for both physical and mental health difficulties (Hansen et al. 2004; Steele and Buchi 2008). Within the context of family separation, loss, and trauma, and the many other pressing issues presenting when children are placed in foster care, eating and foodrelated behaviors are often ignored. Accordingly, these often problematic behaviors associated with food and meal-time have not been systematically addressed in practitioner training curricula or in many parenting programs. Despite this lack of attention, recent evidence suggests that problem eating and food-related behavior is prevalent among children in foster care (Tarren-Sweeney 2006), and, in some cases, C. M. Casey C. Cook-Cottone (&) M. Beck-Joslyn Department of Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, 424 Baldy Hall, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA e-mail: [email protected]
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reaches clinical levels. For example, results of a large, national survey on mental health outcomes of youth who had once been in foster care (Pecora et al. 2005) found rates of Bulimia Nervosa (BN) to be 2.9 %, which is an alarming seven times higher than the 0.4 % rate found in the general population. Given the evidence that foster care children may be at an increased risk for a range of problematic eating, greater attention to nutrition and eating behaviors may be warranted on the part of those who participate in the care of these children (DuRousseau et al. 1991; Tarren-Sweeney 2006). Child welfare workers are in a unique position to provide both preventive services and appropriate interventions in this area. However, current legal mandates that guide child welfare workers lack definitional specificity in relation to food and nutrition practi
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