Association between Picky Eating Behaviors and Nutritional Status in Early Childhood: Performance of a Picky Eating Behavior Questionnaire

Abstract

Picky eating behaviors are frequently observed in childhood, leading to concern that an unbalanced and inadequate diet will result in unfavorable growth outcomes. However, the association between picky eating behaviors and nutritional status has not been investigated in detail. This study was conducted to assess eating behaviors and growth of children aged 1–5 years from the Seoul Metropolitan area. Primary caregivers completed self-administered questionnaires and 3-day diet records. Differences in the nutrient intake and growth indices between picky and non-picky eaters were tested by analysis of covariance. Children “eating small amounts” consumed less energy and micronutrients (with the exception of calcium intake), but picky behaviors related to a “limited variety” resulted in a significant difference regarding nutrient density for some micronutrients. Children with the behavior of “eating small amounts” had a lower weight-for-age than that of non-picky eaters; especially, the older children with the behaviors of “eating small amounts” or “refusal of specific food groups” had lower height-for-age compared with non-picky eaters. These results suggest that specific picky eating behaviors are related to different nutrient intake and unfavorable growth patterns in early childhood. Thus, exploration of potential interventions according to specific aspects of picky eating and their efficacy is required.

Complementary feeding in infants born prematurely

“…Picky eating is a frequent eating problem in childhood that concerns many parents. In young children, picky eating can contribute to a poor dietary intake and growth status and may have long-term effects (19) . Moreover, the eating behavior of early childhood, including food refusal, a common problem for pediatric practitioners, is a topic without clarity.…”

“…Moreover, the eating behavior of early childhood, including food refusal, a common problem for pediatric practitioners, is a topic without clarity. The prevalence rates vary from 13% to 22% or 13% to 50%, depending on the age (19)(20)(21)(22) .…”

HUBUNGAN PERILAKU PICKY EATER DENGAN TINGKAT KECUKUPAN PROTEIN DAN LEMAK PADA ANAK PRASEKOLAH <br><i>[Correlation of Picky Eater Behavior to Protein and Fat Intake in Adequacy Pre-School Children] </br></i>

“…Pengumpulan data melalui wawancara dengan bantuan kuesioner meliputi data karakteristik anak (usia dan jenis kelamin), perilaku picky eater, dan data asupan gizi dengan metode recall 2x24 jam. Kuesioner picky eater terdiri dari 13 pertanyaan yang disesuaikan dengan Goh dan Jacob (2012) serta Kwon et al (2017). Penentuan perilaku picky eater berdasarkan hasil skor dari skala likert.…”

Correlation of Picky Eating in Children’s Growth: A Systematic Review

“…Of the 15 studies reviewed, 9 articles were found which mentioned a positive relationship between eating and growth and the 6 articles mentioned were not related. From 9 articles that positively related to the growth of children, 3 articles mentioned the correlation in increasing body weight and 6 articles mentioned the correlation between the occurrence of weight loss (Chao, 2018;Galloway, Watson, Pitama, Farrow, & Llewellyn, 2018;Kwon, Shim, Kang, & Paik, 2017;Viljakainen, Figueiredo, Rounge, & Weiderpass, 2019;Volger et al, 2017). 6 articles that are negatively related, mention that the growth of children remains stable or normal but only related to diet or nutritional intake is even just an excessive concern by parents.…”