Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 17, 2026

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

Children's eating behavior, feeding practices of parents and weight problems in early childhood: results from the

Pauline W Jansen1, Sabine J Roza, Vincent Wv Jaddoe

  • 1The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. p.w.jansen@erasmusmc.nl

The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
|November 1, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Early childhood eating behaviors and parental feeding practices significantly influence children's body mass index (BMI). Interventions targeting both child eating habits and parental feeding are crucial for preventing unhealthy weight in preschoolers.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Child Psychology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Early childhood weight problems often persist into later life.
  • Understanding modifiable factors in early childhood is key to addressing unhealthy weight.
  • Preschoolers' eating behaviors and parental feeding practices are potential targets for intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between preschoolers' eating behaviors and parental feeding practices with body mass index (BMI) and weight status.
  • To replicate previous findings in a large population sample of four-year-olds.
  • To investigate the interplay between child eating behaviors and parental feeding in relation to child weight.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study of 4987 four-year-olds from a Dutch population-based cohort.
  • Utilized the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire and Child Feeding Questionnaire.
  • Objective measurement of Body Mass Index (BMI) for all participants.

Main Results:

  • 13% of preschoolers were underweight, 8% overweight, and 2% obese.
  • Food responsiveness, enjoyment of food, and parental restriction were linked to higher BMI.
  • Emotional undereating, satiety responsiveness, fussiness, and pressure to eat were linked to lower BMI.
  • Parental feeding practices partially mediated the link between child eating behaviors and BMI (20-43%), and vice versa (33-47%).

Conclusions:

  • Significant differences in eating behaviors and feeding patterns exist across weight status groups in preschoolers.
  • The high prevalence of unhealthy weight underscores the need for early intervention.
  • Interventions should consider modifying both child eating behaviors and parental feeding strategies to address unhealthy weight in young children.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Breakfast Habits among Schoolchildren in the City of Uruguaiana, Brazil06:48

Breakfast Habits among Schoolchildren in the City of Uruguaiana, Brazil

Published on: July 29, 2020

Palatable Western-style Cafeteria Diet as a Reliable Method for Modeling Diet-induced Obesity in Rodents09:10

Palatable Western-style Cafeteria Diet as a Reliable Method for Modeling Diet-induced Obesity in Rodents

Published on: November 1, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Behavioral Genetics and Its Designs01:23

Behavioral Genetics and Its Designs

Behavior genetics explores how genetic inheritance influences human behavior. It focuses on how genes, passed from parents to offspring, contribute to the development of behavioral traits and tendencies. This branch of genetics seeks to understand the complex interplay between inherited genetic factors and environmental influences in shaping our behaviors.
The primary methodologies used in behavior genetics include family studies, twin studies, and adoption studies, each providing unique...
Relationship with Parents: Attachment01:28

Relationship with Parents: Attachment

Parent-child interactions lay the foundation for how we understand relationships throughout life. These interactions are not uniform across families; instead, they are shaped by a range of environmental, emotional, and behavioral factors unique to each caregiver-child dynamic. Social psychologists study these early relationships to understand how patterns formed in infancy influence social functioning and interpersonal behavior in adulthood.Attachment Theory and Early Relational ModelsJohn...
Nature and Nurture01:10

Nature and Nurture

Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience, such as differences...
Regression Toward the Mean01:52

Regression Toward the Mean

Regression toward the mean (“RTM”) is a phenomenon in which extremely high or low values—for example, and individual’s blood pressure at a particular moment—appear closer to a group’s average upon remeasuring. Although this statistical peculiarity is the result of random error and chance, it has been problematic across various medical, scientific, financial and psychological applications. In particular, RTM, if not taken into account, can interfere when researchers try to extrapolate results...
Longitudinal Research02:20

Longitudinal Research

Sometimes we want to see how people change over time, as in studies of human development and lifespan. When we test the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time, we are conducting longitudinal research. Longitudinal research is a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again...
Gene-Environment Interactions01:20

Gene-Environment Interactions

Gene expression is a dynamic process that is significantly influenced by environmental factors. This interaction underlies the complex nature of biological development and the phenotypic differences observed among individuals, even among those with identical genetic makeups. Factors such as radiation, temperature, behavior, nutrition, and stress play pivotal roles in determining how genes are expressed. The concept of the reaction range is central to understanding this interaction. It posits...