title: Parent-reported eating and leisure-time activity selection patterns related to energy balance in preschool- and school-aged children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Compare parent-reported preschool- and school-aged children's eating and leisure-time activity patterns that are proposed to influence energy balance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional investigation of children, 2 to 12 years, attending a well visit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pediatric private practice/ambulatory pediatric clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred seventy-four children: 49% preschool-aged, 54% female, 28% Hispanic, and 34% overweight or at risk for overweight.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parent-reported eating/leisure-time behaviors. Height/weight from medical records.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analyses of covariance/chi-square tests; significance at P <or= .05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  By parents' report, preschool-aged children consumed more servings/day of low-fat dairy (2.1 +/- 1.6 vs 1.7 +/- 1.5; P < .01), fewer servings/day of sweetened drinks (1.4 +/- 1.9 vs 2.2 +/- 2.6; P < .01) and watched fewer hours/day of weekend TV (2.3 +/- 1. 3 vs 2.7 +/- 1.3; P < .05) than school-aged children. Fewer preschool-aged children consumed salty (14.0% vs 26.1%; P < .05) and sweet (16.3% vs. 29.5%; P < .05) snack food daily, and a greater percentage regularly consumed dinner with a parent (93.0% vs 80.7%; P < .05), as assessed by parent report.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parent-reported children's eating/leisure-time patterns that may influence energy balance were less healthful in the school-aged children. However, most children did not meet recommendations, irrespective of age or weight. Interventions for meeting recommendations should start with families with preschool-aged children. Future research should focus on identifying factors that might be contributing to increased reporting of problematic food and leisure-time activity patterns in school-aged children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA. hraynor@utk.edu
authors.forename: Hollie A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Raynor
authors.forename: Elissa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jelalian
authors.forename: Patrick M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Vivier
authors.forename: Chantelle N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: Rena R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Wing
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology*; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000209:etiology*; D010290:Parents; D010372:Pediatrics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires