Eating Behavior Latent Profiles and Their Associations With Body Composition in Early Childhood: The CORALS Cohort

This study aimed to identify sex-specific eating behavior profiles and assess the associations between eating behaviors subscales and profiles and body composition indices in Spanish preschoolers from the CORALS cohort.

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from 1208 children aged 3-6 years (50.1% girls) from the CORALS cohort. Eating behaviors were assessed using the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ). Sex-specific latent profile analyses were conducted separately for girls and boys. Associations of CEBQ subscales and profiles with BMI, fat mass index, fat-free mass index, and waist to height ratio (z scores) were examined using multiple linear regression models adjusted for sociodemographic variables, energy intake, playing outdoors, and sleep duration.

Four eating behavior profiles were identified in both sexes: controlled, avid, typical, and avoidant. Food approach subscales and avid eater profile were positively associated with body composition indices, whereas food avoidance subscales and avoidant and controlled profiles showed inverse associations. Controlled eater profile showed opposite associations with fat-free mass by sex: positive associations in boys (β = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.21, 0.62) but negative in girls (β = -0.55 95% CI: -0.77, -0.32).

Eating behavior profiles were associated with body composition indices similarly in boys and girls, with the exception of the controlled eater profile in relation to fat-free mass index, for which the association differed by sex. Combining subscale-level and profile-level approaches may improve understanding of early eating behavior patterns and their role in body composition development.

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06317883 (observational cohort).