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Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
Published on: February 11, 2017
Relationships between temperament and eating behaviours in young children
Emma Haycraft1, Claire Farrow, Caroline Meyer
1Loughborough University Centre for Research into Eating Disorders, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, United Kingdom. E.Haycraft@lboro.ac.uk
Abstract:
This study examined the associations between eating behaviours and temperament in a sample of young children. Mothers (N=241) of children aged 3-8 years completed measures of their children's eating behaviours and temperament and reported their child's height and weight. Children with more emotional temperaments were reported to display more food avoidant eating behaviours. Shyness, sociability and activity were not related to children's eating behaviours. Higher child BMI was related to more food approach eating behaviours but BMI was unrelated to child temperament. Future research should explore more specifically how emotional temperaments might influence child eating behaviour.
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