Longitudinal bidirectional relationship between children's appetite and diet quality: A prospective cohort study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nutrition
• Developmental Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Childhood eating behaviors are established early and can persist into later life.
• Diet quality during childhood is crucial for long-term health outcomes.
• Understanding the interplay between eating behaviors and diet quality is essential for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the relationship between eating behaviors and diet quality in children aged 7 to 10 years.
• To investigate the directionality of associations between specific eating behaviors and diet quality.
• To identify eating behaviors that predict long-term diet quality.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Portuguese birth cohort Generation XXI (n=3879).
• Assessed eating behaviors using the Children Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ).
• Evaluated diet quality using a developed Healthy Eating Index (HEI) and employed generalized linear models and structural equation modeling.

Main Results:

• Eating behaviors at age 7 tracked to age 10, indicating stability.
• A bidirectional inverse association was found between food fussiness and diet quality.
• High enjoyment of food and low food fussiness at age 7 predicted high diet quality at age 10.

Conclusions:

• Eating behaviors and diet quality exhibit a bidirectional relationship in children.
• Early identification and intervention for problematic eating behaviors are crucial.
• Promoting healthy eating behaviors in early life can foster better long-term diet quality.