Picky Eating Behaviour and Nutritional Status of Preschool Children in Kuala Selangor, Malaysia

ABSTRACT

@#Introduction: Picky eating is defined by the reluctance of consuming familiar foods, trying new food and having strong food preferences. It is common among children; however limited and inconsistent studies have being done to investigate the incidence and its relationship among pre-schoolers in Malaysia. Aims: To investigate the prevalence of picky eaters among pre-schoolers and its association with nutritional status. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 192 preschool children in Kuala Selangor district, Malaysia. A set of online questionnaires consisted of Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) was administered online. Self-reported weight and height were also collected. Results: 31.8% of the children were identified as picky eaters. Their weight, weight-for-age z-score (WAZ), height, height-for-age z-score (HAZ), Body Mass Index (BMI) and BMI-for-age z-score (BAZ) were significantly lower than non-picky eaters (p<0.05). A lower degree of food responsiveness, enjoyment of food and emotional overeating combined with higher degree of food fussiness and slowness in eating were prevalent among picky eaters (p<0.05). Picky eating behaviour was significantly associated with WAZ, HAZ, and BAZ (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study revealed that 1 in 3 children is a picky eater and they are more likely to be underweight. This highlights more comprehensive studies in the future to investigate the long-term effect of such behaviour.