Comparative analysis of eating behavior of children of different age groups

Abstract

The phenomenon of eating behavior in the development of obesity in the pediatric age group remains poorly understood.The purpose of the study. To determine the peculiarities of eating behavior of children of various age groups depending on body mass.Material and methods. A comparative prospective study of 905 children: 342 children 1–7 years (4.7 ± 1.29), 249 children aged 8–12 (11.08 ± 0.81) and 314 adolescents 13–18 (14.25 ± 1,34). A physical survey was conducted according to standard methods with calculation of body mass index. For the study of eating behavior of preschool children, a survey of the parents was conducted using the scales of CEBQ (Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire; J. Wardle, 2001; by the license author), an assessment of eating behavior of children 8–12 years was conducted through the analysis of the questionnaire FEV - II, and an assessment of adolescents was done with the use of the Dutch questionnaire DEBQ (Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire). Statistical analysis: STATISTICA (version 8), Microsoft Excel 7,0.Results. Assessment of the frequency of occurrence of eating disorders in children and adolescents showed that regardless of age and body mass, all the children had eating disorders. The development of pathological disorders begins at 5-years of age and acquires a clear shape at 7 years. All children with normal body weight was dominated by external type of eating behavior, in subgroups of patients with overweight / obesity was the prevalent restrictive type. In patients with obesity, a third had combined forms of food behavior with the prevalence of the combination in children 8–12 years of restrictive and external types, in children 13–18 years of restrictive and emotional types. The frequency of occurrence of these combinations was increased together with the increase in children of body weight.