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[Feeding behavior, dietary sufficiency and nutritional status in children between 6 and 18 months]
Edson Bustos A1, Marcelo Cádiz C1, Karina Etchegaray A1
1Escuela de Nutrición y Dietética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Finis Terrae, Santiago, Chile.
Insights
Many young children exceed recommended meal frequencies, impacting nutritional status. Higher intake was observed in non-breastfed, older infants, with significant obesity rates noted.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Childhood Obesity
- Dietary Habits
Background:
- Infant feeding requires specific nutritional considerations.
- Parental influence is key to developing healthy eating habits and adequate nutritional status in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the eating behaviors, dietary patterns, and nutritional status of children aged 6 to 18 months.
- To understand the relationship between feeding practices and nutritional outcomes in early childhood.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional descriptive study involving 199 children.
- Data collection included demographic, anthropometric (nutritional status), and 24-hour dietary recall for behavior and sufficiency.
- Statistical analysis used Student's t-test, ANOVA, and chi-square tests.
Main Results:
- Over 21% of children were overweight and 7.6% obese.
- 56.8% had appropriate meal frequencies; average energy intake was 652.9 kcal/day.
- Non-breastfed children and those 12-18 months old showed higher energy and macronutrient intake; girls had better energy, lipid, and carbohydrate adequacy than boys.
Conclusions:
- Four out of ten children consumed more meals than recommended.
- Dietary sufficiency was higher in normally nourished, non-breastfed infants aged 12-18 months.
- The study identified a high prevalence of overweight and obesity, though lower than national averages.
Introduction:
Infant feeding has specific qualitative and quantitative characteristics. The influence of parents on food intake is crucial in the development of habits and an adequate nutritional state.
Objective:
To evaluate eating behavior, dietary characteristics, and nutritional status of children between 6 to 18 months.
Subjects And Method:
Cross-sectional descriptive study in 199 children. Using convenience sampling, demographic and anthropometric data were recorded for nutritional status, and dietary history, through a 24-hour reminder for dietary behavior and food sufficiency. The Student's t-test and one-way ANOVA were applied for continuous variables and the chi-square test for the categori cal ones.
Results:
54.8% were women. Regarding nutritional status, 21.1% were overweight and 7.6% obese. 56.8% of the children had meal numbers according to their age. The average energy intake was 652.9 ± 224.2 calories per day. The intake of energy and macronutrients was significantly higher in children not consuming breast milk and aged 12 to 18 months. The energy, lipids, and carbohydrates adequacy in girls was significantly higher than in boys. 83.1% of food consumption was habitual for this age group.
Conclusion:
In eating behavior, we observed that 4 out of 10 children have meal numbers higher than suggested for their ages. Regarding dietary sufficiency, there is a higher intake in children with normal nutritional status, without breastfeeding, and between 12 and 18 months. Despite the high prevalence of obesity, it was lower than that observed at the national level.
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