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Additional file 1. Facebook groups used to recruit participants and number of members at the time of recruitment.

Infants have an innate ability to self-regulate their food intake. As they grow older, they are more likely to be influenced by external factors related to their food environment, such as parental controlling feeding practices or food availability. Hence, the emergence of “eating in the absence of hunger” (EAH) behavior has recently been demonstrated as early as in toddlerhood with links to parental controlling feeding practices. However, the influence of parental use of food as a reward (FaR) and use of food to regulate emotions (FRE) on EAH remains poorly studied at this early age. This study aims to 1) evaluate the association between toddler’s EAH and the FaR and FRE parental feeding practices. Secondary objectives include: to explore the associations between 2) food accessibility and EAH 3) toddler’s physical activity and EAH and to explore the moderating role of toddler’s 4) soothability and 5) inhibitory control in these relationships.

Additional file 2. Interview guide translated from French.

Purpose: In light of the latest epidemiological and nutritional knowledge and scientific evidence supporting responsive feeding, the French feeding guidelines for 0-3 years were recently updated and nationally disseminated through a brochure and media campaign by Santé publique France. Moreover, smartphone apps become increasingly popular and is likely relevant to provide timely information across development to inform parents about child feeding practices but their effect is seldom evaluated. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) aims to investigate whether the provision of guidelines through an app and a brochure (vs. brochure alone, usual service) results in healthier parental feeding practices, infant's eating behaviours and body mass index (BMI). Methods: This double-blinded monocentric 2-arm trial is conducted among first-time parents living in the area of Dijon (France) and recruited in a maternity ward. A smartphone app was developed by INRAE for the outcome evaluation and for the timely distribution of the new guidelines content: from child age 3 to 36 months, 106 age-adapted messages with dietary recommendations, educational advice, recipes and tips provided in the form of short texts and videos (intervention group only), and 36 generic messages (both groups). The primary outcome is the BMI z-score at 36 months of age. Secondary outcome measures include online parents' reports and behavioural assessments (experimental meals) of parental feeding practices and infant eating behaviours from inclusion to 36 months of age. Analyses of covariance on these outcomes will assess the effect of the intervention. Mediation and moderation analyses will explore, respectively, the mechanisms of action of the intervention and the potential moderating effect of socioeconomic, parental (attitudes and beliefs about child feeding) and infants' (general temperament) factors. Sample size was determined to be n=118 in each arm, plus 20% to compensate for potential attrition.Results/findings: The first participants were enrolled in March 2022 and the recruitment is ongoing (n=110 were included on February 2023). Conclusions: This is the first French RCT to assess a digital intervention targeted to first-time parents to improve feeding practices and child growth. The app may represent a potential stand-alone communication tool to complement those already disseminated to the general population.

Meeting abstract number 4 in the 30. Annual Congress of European Chilhood Obesity Group (ECOG), 2021/11/10-13, Budapest (Hungary).