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Identifying an avid eating profile in childhood: Associations with temperament, feeding practices and food insecurity
The goal of this study by Pickard et al. (2023) was to establish various eating behavior profiles in early children and investigate how these profiles may differ depending on other significant determinants of children’s eating behavior, such as parental feeding practices, child temperament, or the feeling of food insecurity. Nine hundred ninety-five parents and carers (80% female, 88% White, Mage = 35.4 years) participated in an online survey. In addition to filling out questionnaires on family food security, child temperament, and parental feeding practices, participants reported on their kid’s eating habits using the Child Eating Habit Questionnaire. Data analysis by Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) demonstrated that the children (36-72 months, Mage = 48.8 months, and 52% female) had different eating profiles, namely: (a) avid eating, (b) avoidant eating, (c) happy eating, and (d) typical eating. Higher levels of emotional overeating, food responsiveness, and pleasure from food were associated with avid eating (21.9% of children), which was described by lower levels of slow eating, response to satiety, and food fussiness. Compared to all other eating profiles, children with an avid eating profile were said to be more impulsive and to have a more significant level of food insecurity. Compared to the parents of children from the other three eating profiles, parents of avid eaters demonstrated considerably more use of food for emotional regulation, food restriction for health, diverse and balanced meal provision, and food restriction for weight-feeding practices. [NPID: Avid eating, food approach, parental feeding practices, childhood temperament]
Year: 2023
