Prevalence and Determinants of Eating Behaviors Among School-Going Children in Bangladesh: A Cross-Sectional Study

Childhood eating behaviors arise from the interaction of socio-demographic, emotional, and environmental influences that shape food-related responses early in life. Guided by a behavioral-ecological perspective, this study explored key determinants of emotional, physical-activity-related, and social-interaction-based eating behaviors among school-aged children in Bangladesh.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 420 school-going children (aged 4-12 years) across urban, semi-urban, and rural areas in Bangladesh. Data were collected through structured interviews with guardians. Statistical analyses were performed using Stata 17. Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics, while Chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression estimated adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals.

Behavioral changes were most frequent in the emotional domain (90.5%), followed by physical activity-related (88.1%) and social interaction-related behaviors (86.2%). Parental education and urban residence were consistent predictors of greater behavioral variation. Higher household income was associated with lower odds of physical-activity-related changes (AOR = 0.09, P < .05), while religion was linked to social eating differences (AOR = 0.32, P < .05).

Parental education, residence, income, and religion significantly shape children's eating behaviors. These findings highlight the importance of integrating emotional and environmental perspectives in designing child nutrition programs, particularly for low-income and less-educated families.