A quantitative psychometric evaluation of an intervention for poor dietary variety in children with a feeding problem of clinical significance

Abstract

Few studies have been published that offer a quantitative evaluation of interventions for feeding problems of clinical significance. Twenty-four children referred to the service for clinically significant feeding problems were administered the Behavioral Pediatric Feeding Assessment Scale (BPFAS; W. Crist & A. Napier-Phillips, 2001) and the Child Feeding Assessment Questionnaire (CFAQ; G. Harris & I.W. Booth, 1992) before and after a duel targeted 16-week therapeutic intervention to improve dietary variety. Dietary variety was assessed through a food diary where only items that were accepted on more than one occasion were deemed to be part of the child's habitual diet. Results indicated that all subscales of the BPFAS and the CFAQ were responsive to the intervention, with scores falling from those of clinical significance to those more representative of non-feeding-problem children. Regression analysis indicated that children's problem scores on the BPFAS predicted 15% of the variance in increased dietary variety following the intervention. The outcome of this evaluation indicated that improving dietary variety in children with clinically significant feeding problems is challenging. With the right approach, however, large improvements can be observed relatively quickly.

Parent questionnaires measuring feeding disorders in preschool children: a systematic review

“…All the included questionnaires show different scores in the expected directions for clinical samples versus normative samples, and the BPFAS, MBQ, and MCH Feeding Scale have undergone factor analysis. Three scales, the BPFAS, the CFAQ, and the CEBI, have also been found to be useful as evaluative questionnaires, demonstrating change in the expected direction after therapeutic input …”

“…Three scales, the BPFAS, the CFAQ, and the CEBI, have also been found to be useful as evaluative questionnaires, demonstrating change in the expected direction after therapeutic input. [58][59][60] The BPFAS is variably correlated with observational assessments of feeding, and reflects caloric intake and some level of dietary variety. It is correlated with some items on the CFAQ, however the CFAQ does not correlate with dietary variety.…”

A Parent-Led Contingent Reward Desensitization Intervention for Children With a Feeding Problem Resulting From Sensory Defensiveness

“…Once the child has sufficiently overcome their sensory sensitivity to the food item(s) offered, then it may be beneficial to move toward a second technique to increase their experience with the item. 30 The current study had some notable limitations that must be considered prior to conclusion. The first factor that limited the application of the findings within the current study is that the sample was homologous.…”

“…First, we have already observed a preoccupation among parents to preferentially increase fruit and vegetable consumption following another one of our interventions for children who have a nonorganic determinant of their feeding problem. 30 At this time, it cannot be discounted that some implicit instructions are offered by one or more of the individuals within the center that directed parents to preferentially offer fruit and vegetables. Furthermore, it cannot be refuted that the parents influenced what the children chose.…”

“…We have previously described another group of children with feeding problems that could also be considered as nonorganic feeding problem elsewhere. 30 We have not used the term selective eater within the current article as this has been used in previous literature with children with ASD. 13 The children within the current study did not have a diagnosis for ASD.…”