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[Associations among appetite, snacking, and body type during infant development]

Tomomi Ainuki1, Rie Akamatsu

  • 1Ochanomizu University, Graduate School of Humanities and Schiences.

[Nihon Koshu Eisei Zasshi] Japanese Journal of Public Health
|April 27, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Lacking or irregular appetite in infants at 18 months often persists to 36 months, highlighting the need for early, age-tailored nutritional education. Snack habits also evolve, impacting appetite development.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Infant feeding practices and appetite regulation are critical for long-term health.
  • Understanding the developmental trajectory of appetite and snacking behaviors is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the associations between infant appetite, snacking patterns, and body type.
  • To determine if these trends persist over time in early childhood.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 1313 children from 18 to 36 months of age.
  • Data collected via health checkups, including maternal reports on appetite and snack content/style.
  • Statistical analyses included McNemar test and logistic regression to identify risk factors.

Main Results:

  • Lacking/irregular appetite at 18 months was a significant predictor of similar appetite at 36 months (OR: 4.70).
  • Unsupervised and time-unconstrained snacking were associated with irregular appetite.
  • Underweight infants at 18 months had a higher risk of lacking/irregular appetite at 36 months (OR: 11.47).

Conclusions:

  • Early identification and intervention for irregular appetite are crucial as it tends to persist.
  • Nutritional education strategies should be age-specific, considering the changing risk factors for appetite issues.
  • Snacking behaviors significantly influence appetite development throughout early childhood.
Abstract

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