Growth, energy intake, and meal pattern in five-year-old children considered as poor eaters.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether 5-year-old children considered poor eaters differ from their peers regarding growth, intake of energy and nutrients, or meal pattern. Study design Parental evaluations of children's (n=494) eating at age 5 years were collected using questionnaires, and energy and nutrient intakes and meal pattern of the children were assessed using 4-day food records. Weight and height were measured at birth and at ages 7 and 13 months, and 2, 3, 4, and 5 years. Of the children 30.2% (149) were poor eaters according to the parents. The rest of the sample (n=345) formed the comparison group.


RESULTS
Poor eaters were on average lighter and shorter at birth (P=.026 and P=.020, respectively), and at age 5 years (P<.001 for both weight and height) than the comparison children. At age 5 years the poor eaters on average received less of their daily total energy from warm meals (P=.044) and more from snacks (P=.013) than the comparison group, but the mean daily weight-adjusted intake of energy showed no difference between the groups (P=.153).


CONCLUSIONS
There appears not to be reason for serious concern about growth and diet of preschool-aged children considered as poor eaters by parents.
Saarilehto
Susanna
S
Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, and the Departments of Pediatrics, Teacher Training in Rauma, and Biostatistics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. susaari@utu.fi
Lapinleimu
Helena
H
Keskinen
Soili
S
Helenius
Hans
H
Talvia
Sanna
S
Simell
Olli
O
D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male