Child eating behavior predicts body mass index after 1 year: results from the Swiss Preschooler's Health Study (SPLASHY).

ABSTRACT: Child obesity is a growing global issue. Preventing early development of overweight and obesity requires identifying reliable risk factors for high body mass index (BMI) in children. Child eating behavior might be an important and malleable risk factor that can be reliably assessed with the parent-report Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ). Using a hierarchical dataset (children nested within child care centers) from a representative cohort of Swiss preschool children, we tested whether eating behavior, assessed with a 7-factor solution of the CEBQ, and BMI at baseline predicted the outcome BMI after 1 year, controlling for socioeconomic status (n = 555; 47% female; mean age = 3.9 years, range: 2.2-6.6; mean BMI = 16 kg/m², range: 11.2-23; mean age- and sex-correct

SUBMITTER: Mihov Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11019003 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature