Frequência de dificuldade alimentar em crianças e seus fatores associados

Abstract

The objective of this study is to identify the frequency of eating habit difficulties among children from one to five years old living in Goiania, as well as its associated factors. This is a cross-sectional study conducted with adult parents through a structured online questionnaire, the link of which was shared on social media, with questions that assessed demographic characteristics, maternal education, child's eating behavior and the parents' attitude towards the child's eating habits, the latter based on the Portuguese adapted version of the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire and the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire. Data from 84 children were analyzed, of which 54.7% were female. 30% showed eating difficulties, identifying neophobia and selective behavior. Most rejected foods were legumes, manioc and vegetables. In this sample, it was not verified the correlation between eating difficulty and time of gestation, age and level of education of the mother, period of breastfeeding and introduction of complementary feeding. It was only verified the correlation between eating habits difficulty and birth order, this relation being considered true for only childrens. Many parents showed an attitude of encouraging healthy eating habits and, on the other hand, coercive and permissive attitudes, offering rewards and punishments in an attempt to stimulate eating. We conclude that parental eating habits greatly influence children's preferences, so it is important that they eat healthy, make good food choices, and show children the importance of these good habits for a healthy and good quality way of life.