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Preschool children's eating behaviours are related to dietary adequacy and body weight

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 61, pages 846–855 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

The aim of this paper is to analyse the relationships between eating behaviours (picky eating, irregular eating and overeating), and dietary adequacy in accordance with nutrition recommendations and body weight during the preschool years.

Design and setting:

Our analyses were performed using data from the Longitudinal Study of Child Development in Québec (1998–2002), a population-based birth cohort.

Subjects:

The study followed a representative sample (n=2103) of children born in 1998 in the Canadian province of Québec.

Methods:

Eating behaviours were derived from self-administered questionnaires when children were 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5 years. Nutrition data were collected from one 24-hour recall interview conducted at home by trained nutritionists at 4.5 years. Children's weight and height were measured at 4.5 years. Statistical analyses were carried out with SAS (version 8.2). Weighted data adjusted for within-variability were used in the analysis, and the significance level was set at 5%.

Results:

Picky eaters consume fewer total fats, less energy and less protein than children never reporting picky eating behaviours. Picky eaters were more likely to consume less than dietary recommendations for fruit and vegetables, and meat and alternatives. Overeaters consumed more total energy and more of each macronutrient than children who were never reported as overeaters during the preschool years. These children consumed more servings of grain products and meats and alternatives per day than children not classified as overeaters. Even when the number of servings of grain products consumed was similar for overeaters and children who were never overeaters, overeaters had higher body mass index.

Conclusion:

Given that children as young as 4.5 years are displaying some form of problematic eating behaviour which is shown to be related to dietary adequacy and body weight, public health professionals should be targeting parents of young children to provide messages about strategies for coping with problematic eating behaviours in early childhood.

Descriptors:

Eating behaviours, diet quality, bodyweight, preschoolers and birth cohort.

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Acknowledgements

L Dubois' research work is supported by the Canada Research Chair Program. This study has been partly financed by the Canadian Institute of Health Information, Population Health Initiative and by the Canadian Institute of Health Research. The analyses were performed using data from the Longitudinal Study of Child Development in Québec (1998–2002), conducted by Santé Québec, a division of the Institut de la Statistique du Québec and funded by the Ministry of Health and Social Services of Québec.

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  1. Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Population Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

    L Dubois, A P Farmer, M Girard & K Peterson

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Correspondence to L Dubois.

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Appendix

Appendix

Table A1

Table a1 Serving sizes, weight and energy values of some common foods in Canadaa
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Dubois, L., Farmer, A., Girard, M. et al. Preschool children's eating behaviours are related to dietary adequacy and body weight. Eur J Clin Nutr 61, 846–855 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602586

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