Children with early refusal to eat: follow-up in adolescence.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the adolescent outcome of infant refusal to eat (RTE) and to investigate early predictors of adolescent outcomes.


METHODS
19 of 25 children with RTE and 35 of 42 controls were assessed at age 16. The participants rated eating attitudes and self-perceptions with a Swedish version of the Children's Eating Attitudes Test (ChEAT) and a Swedish self-perception measure. Weight and height were assessed through self-reports, and body mass index (BMI) was computed. Child and family variables measured from infancy through age 4 were used as predictors.


RESULTS
RTE and controls did not differ with regard to disturbed eating attitudes, BMI or self-perceptions. There were no relations between early predictors and adolescent disturbed eating for the whole sample, but breastfeeding problems and social adversity in the early years predicted negative self-perceptions, and weight at 4 y predicted adolescent BMI. For the RTE group, low birthweight predicted higher levels of disturbed eating attitudes and less positive self-perceptions. For the control group, social adversity predicted high BMI.


CONCLUSIONS
RTE does not seem to constitute a risk factor for adolescent disturbed eating. Further, there may be different risk factors for adolescent disturbed eating for children with and without RTE.
Rydell
Ann-Margret
AM
Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. annmargret.rydell@psyk.uu.se
Dahl
Margareta
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002648:Child; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D013997:Time Factors