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Feeding Problems Assessment Tools in Children: A Scoping Review
Suci Destriatania1,2, Judhiastuty Februhartanty1,3, Fariz Nurwidya4
1Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Dr Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, Jakarta 10430, Indonesia.
Insights
This review identifies 23 feeding problem assessment tools for children, finding Pedi-EAT, MCH-FS, and BPFAS most common. No single tool comprehensively assesses all feeding issues, highlighting research gaps.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Child Development
- Clinical Assessment Tools
Background:
- Infant feeding problems can negatively impact a child's nutrition, growth, and brain development.
- Accurate assessment tools are crucial for identifying and managing pediatric feeding issues.
- Existing research on feeding problem assessment tools requires comprehensive mapping and analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To map current research on pediatric feeding problem assessment tools.
- To summarize available assessment tools for children's feeding problems.
- To review current implications and identify gaps in existing assessment tools.
Main Methods:
- A scoping review was conducted using PubMed, Science Direct, and ProQuest databases.
- Search terms included "feeding difficult*", "eating problem", "tool", "child*", and "pediatric" within the last 10 years.
- Data from 47 included papers were manually analyzed and charted, with thematic analysis used for summarization.
Main Results:
- Twenty-three distinct assessment tools for children's feeding problems were identified.
- Pedi-EAT, MCH-FS, and BPFAS were the most frequently used tools.
- While 23 tools were validated, no single instrument comprehensively covers all aspects of feeding problems.
Conclusions:
- Commonly used tools like Pedi-EAT, MCH-FS, and BPFAS are valuable but not exhaustive.
- Significant gaps exist in the comprehensive assessment of pediatric feeding problems.
- Further research is needed to develop and refine tools that address the wide age range and multifaceted nature of feeding issues.
Abstract:
'Feeding problems' is a term used to describe problems that may present typically in children. Problems with feeding during infancy can result in significant negative consequences for a child's nutrition, growth, and brain development. This scoping review aims to map current research, provide summary of the available feeding problem assessment tools for children, and review current implications and the gaps between tools, providing information that academics, practitioners, and parents may find useful. Three electronic databases (PubMed, Science Direct, and ProQuest) were searched using terms related to feeding problem assessment tools in children, which included, but were not limited to, "feeding difficult*", "eating problem", "eating difficult*", "tool", "child*", and "pediatric". The following limits were implemented on the search: English language, age limit (<18 years old) and publication period (last 10 years). Data management and analysis carried out manually through discussion with the team. Authors 1 and 2 screened titles and abstracts, then full texts were discussed with the full team to identify articles that met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were charted into a matrix table based on these categories: author, year, population, assessment tools, usage and aspects. Thematic analysis was carried out to summarize the characteristics of the studies. There were 47 papers included in the study and analysis, in which 23 assessment tools were found. Pedi-EAT was the most frequent assessment tool used in the studies, with nine papers covering this feeding problem assessment tool. MCH-FS came in second for its chosen tool quantifying children's feeding problems, with a total of seven papers covering this tool, along with BPFAS with seven papers. In this review, 23 assessment tools were validated and tested for reliability. Pedi-EAT, MCH-FS and BPFAS were commonly used instruments. However, it is clear that no single instrument covers comprehensively all aspects of feeding problems in children. In addition, usage of the tools and wide age range indicate that further research is needed to fill the gaps.
