Eating behaviors and associated factors among preschool children in Tongling City / 中国学校卫生

ABSTRACT

Objective@#To examine the eating behaviors and associated factors among preschool children from multiple child families, so as to provide a basis for promoting healthy eating habits in this population.@*Methods@#From April to June 2022, a stratified random cluster sampling method was employed to selected 2 647 guardians of preschool children in 11 kindergartens in Tongling City. Parenting style questionnaire, Identification and Management of Feeding Difficulty Questionnaire (IMFeD), Caregiver s Feeding Style Questionnaire (CFSQ) and a self designed questionnaire were administered. Multiple linear regression was performed to analyze the factors influencing eating behaviors among preschool children.@*Results@#In the study, the detection of eating behavior problems among preschool children was 71.4%, and the detection of reduced appetite was the highest (55.6%). The detection rates of anorexia, picky eating, poor eating and improper eating behavior in only child families were higher (60.6%, 41.0%, 32.0%, 19.5%), compared with those in multiple child families (51.7%, 36.4%, 27.2%, 16.6%) ( χ 2=20.05, 5.95, 7.16, 3.92, P < 0.05 ). Among multiple child families, the detection rates of fear of eating and underlying disease were the lowest in 5-<10-year-old group (2.3%, 0.6%) ( χ 2=11.54, 8.51, P <0.05). In multiple child families, the detection rates of picky eating and poor eating habits for the first-born child were higher (42.0%, 32.5%), compared with second born and third born child (34.6%, 25.6%)( χ 2= 6.15, 6.38, P <0.05). The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that multiplechild families ( β =-1.40), democratic parenting style ( β =-0.07), higher feeding response scores ( β =-0.33) were negatively associated with eating behavior problems among preschool children ( P <0.05). Eating behavior problems among preschool children were positively correlated with less educated mothers [high and junior high school education ( β =0.87), primary school education and below ( β =3.69)], longer average daily screen time ( β =0.10), higher feeding requirements scores ( β =0.64), doting parenting styles ( β =0.21), permissive parenting styles ( β =0.27) and inconsistent parenting styles ( β =0.14)( P <0.05).@*Conclusion@#The detection rate of the eating behaviors problems among preschool children is high in schools. Greater attention should be paid to only child and first born child of multiple child families, and appropriate feeding and parenting styles, so as to promote healthy eating habits among this population.