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Association between eating vegetables first at the meal and mental capital: A-CHILD study
This research investigates the association between the habit of eating vegetables first at meals and the development of resilience and self-esteem among children in Grades 1 to 6 in Adachi City, Tokyo, Japan. Data were collected from the Adachi Child Health Impact of Living Difficulty (A-CHILD) study, which included a sample of 2654 children. Resilience was assessed using the Children’s Resilient Coping Scale, reported by parents, while self-esteem was measured through the Children’s Perceived Competence Scale, reported by the children themselves.
Through group-based trajectory analysis, four distinct eating behavior trajectories were identified: “Not eating vegetables first” (N = 1481, 55.8%), “Increase eating vegetables first” (N = 841, 31.7%), “Reduce eating vegetables first” (N = 157, 5.9%), and “Constant eating vegetables first” (N = 175, 6.6%). Adjusted analyses revealed that children who consistently eat vegetables first demonstrated significantly higher resilience (d = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.004, 0.39) and self-esteem (d = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.47) compared to their peers who did not adopt this habit.
The findings suggest that prioritizing vegetables in meals may positively contribute to mental capital among elementary school children. The study concludes by advocating for further research to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this association. [NPID: Vegetables, resilience, self-esteem]
Year: 2026
