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Eating behaviour and weight status at 2 years of age: data from the Cork BASELINE Birth Cohort Study

E K McCarthy1,2, C ní Chaoimh1,2, D M Murray2,3

  • 1Vitamin D Research Group, School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|August 13, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Early childhood eating behaviors like enjoyment of food are linked to overweight and obesity in 2-year-olds. Conversely, behaviors like satiety responsiveness are associated with being underweight.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Childhood Obesity Research
  • Behavioral Pediatrics

Background:

  • Childhood weight status is a significant public health concern.
  • Understanding early eating behaviors is crucial for preventing long-term health issues.
  • The Cork BASELINE Birth Cohort Study provides prospective data on maternal-infant dyads.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between specific eating behaviors and weight status in 2-year-old children.
  • To identify early behavioral markers predictive of overweight, obesity, or underweight.
  • To inform early intervention strategies for healthy weight development.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective data collection from the Cork BASELINE Birth Cohort Study.
  • Weight status determined using International Obesity Task Force BMI cutoffs for 1189 children at age 2.
  • Eating behaviors assessed via the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ).

Main Results:

  • 14% of children were overweight or obese, 6% were underweight.
  • Food approach behaviors (Enjoyment of Food, Food Responsiveness) significantly associated with overweight/obesity (P<0.001).
  • Food avoidant behaviors (Satiety Responsiveness, Slowness in Eating) associated with underweight (P<0.05).

Conclusions:

  • Eating behaviors are demonstrably linked to weight status in children as young as two years old.
  • Specific behavioral patterns predict both overweight/obesity and underweight in early childhood.
  • These findings highlight the importance of early behavioral assessment in pediatric weight management.
Abstract

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