title: Association between feeding practices and weight status in young children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inappropriate feeding practices during infancy may lead to overweight. The aims of this study are to investigate the growth of children in the first 18 months of life; to evaluate the feeding practices of caregivers using developed Young Child Feeding Questionnaire; and to investigate caregivers' feeding attitudes and behaviors associated with infants' weight status.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six month-old infants and their main caregivers entering the Kongjiang Community Health Center for a routine well-child check were recruited for this study and followed up every 6 months for 12 months. Questionnaire survey was carried out through on-site face-to-face interview at each visit with the main caregivers of children using Young Child Feeding Questionnaire, which included caregivers' feeding attitudes and behaviors. The weight and length of children were measured at each visit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 197 children who completed the investigation at 18 months of age, 64 (32.49%) children were overweight (BMI-for-age z scores > +1). The increases in weight-for-age z scores and BMI-for-age z scores from birth to 6 months, 12 to 18 months and birth to 18 months in overweight children were significantly higher than those in normal weight children (P < 0.001). In normal weight children, caregivers worried more about children's being "underweight" and "eating less" (P = 0.001), whereas caregivers with overweight children worried more about children's "eating too much" and being "overweight" (P < 0.001). In 64 overweight infants, the scores of "concern about child's food intake" were significantly correlated with increase in BAZ between 12 and 18 months (Bata = 0.293, P = 0.029).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Young Child Feeding Questionnaire is a valid tool for evaluating feeding practice of caregivers. The rapid BMI gain in overweight children may be associated with some inappropriate feeding attitudes and behaviors of caregivers.
authors: Department of Child and Adolescent Healthcare, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, No.1665, Kongjiang Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, 200092, China. xhkcb105@163.com.
authors: Jing-Qiu
authors: JQ
authors: Ma
authors: Department of Child and Adolescent Healthcare, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, No.1665, Kongjiang Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, 200092, China. zhoulili1011@163.com.
authors: Li-Li
authors: LL
authors: Zhou
authors: Department of Child and Adolescent Healthcare, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, No.1665, Kongjiang Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, 200092, China. huyanqiaa@hotmail.com.
authors: Yan-Qi
authors: YQ
authors: Hu
authors: Department of Child and Adolescent Healthcare, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, No.1665, Kongjiang Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, 200092, China. lss851010@126.com.
authors: Shan-Shan
authors: SS
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Child and Adolescent Healthcare, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, No.1665, Kongjiang Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, 200092, China. shengxiaoyangcn@aliyun.com.
authors: Xiao-Yang
authors: XY
authors: Sheng
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D000066502:Grandparents / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires