Typology of emergent eating patterns in early childhood

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Developmental Nutrition
• Behavioral Pediatrics

Background:

• The long-term stability of children's eating patterns is not well understood.
• Early childhood eating habits can influence later health and development.
• Identifying distinct eating patterns in early life is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify subgroups of children based on emergent eating patterns from ages 1 to 3 years.
• To examine demographic, anthropometric, and temperamental differences between these subgroups.
• To assess the stability of eating styles during this developmental period.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of the Colorado Adoption Project dataset (262 boys, 225 girls).
• Assessment of eating styles (Reactivity to Food, Predictable Appetite, Distractibility at Mealtime) and temperaments at ages 1 and 3 years.
• Cluster analysis to identify eating pattern subgroups; ANOVA to differentiate subgroups based on variables like weight-for-length (Wt/L) and emotionality.

Main Results:

• Eating styles demonstrated moderate stability between ages 1 and 3 years, with average increases observed.
• Four distinct eating pattern subgroups were identified: Diet Expanding and Preference Establishing Eaters (37%), Emerging Reactive Tendency Eaters (23%), Emerging Food-Indifferent and Non-Fussy Eaters (31%), and Emerging High-Reactive and Fussy Eaters (9%).
• Subgroups differed significantly in year 1 Wt/L, year 1 Reaction to Food, and year 1-to-3 changes in Emotionality and Reaction to Food.

Conclusions:

• Four distinct childhood eating patterns emerge by age 3, showing moderate stability from infancy.
• Early differences in temperament and food reactivity characterize these emergent eating patterns.
• Further research is needed to understand the long-term health and weight trajectories of these identified subgroups.