Parental pressure, dietary patterns, and weight status among girls who are “picky eaters”

doi:10.1016/j.jada.2005.01.029

Journal of the American Dietetic Association

Volume 105, Issue 4, April 2005, Pages 541-548

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2005.01.029 Get rights and content

Abstract

Objective

To determine whether mothers’ fruit and vegetable intake and mothers’ use of pressure in the feeding domain when their daughters were 7 years old predicted picky eating and dietary intake when their daughters were 9 years old, and to examine diet and weight status in picky and nonpicky eaters.

Design/subjects

Participants were 173 9-year-old non-Hispanic white girls and their mothers. A longitudinal analysis was used to assess maternal influences on picky eating and diet. A cross-sectional analysis was used to examine diet and weight status between picky and nonpicky eaters. Measures included maternal feeding practices, daughters’ pickiness, mothers’ fruit and vegetable intake, daughters’ food intake, and weight status.

Statistical analyses

t tests examined differences between picky and nonpicky eaters. Structural equation modeling examined relationships among mothers’ fruit and vegetable intake; child feeding practices; daughters’ pickiness; and fruit, vegetable, micronutrient, and fiber intakes.

Results

Mothers consuming more fruits and vegetables were less likely to pressure their daughters to eat and had daughters who were less picky and consumed more fruits and vegetables. Picky eaters consumed fewer fruits and vegetables, but also fewer fats and sweets. All girls consumed low amounts of vitamin E, calcium, and magnesium, but more picky girls were at risk for not meeting recommendations for vitamins E and C and also consumed significantly less fiber. In addition, picky eaters were less likely to be overweight.

Conclusions

Mothers influenced daughters’ fruit and vegetable intake via their own patterns of fruit and vegetable intake and by influencing their daughters’ tendencies to be picky eaters. Both picky and nonpicky eaters had aspects of their diets that did not meet recommendations. Taken together, these findings suggest that parents should focus less on “picky eating” behavior and more on modeling fruit and vegetable consumption for their children.

Section snippets

Participants

Participants were from central Pennsylvania and were part of a longitudinal study of the health and development of young girls. There were 192 girls who participated in the study at 7 years of age and 183 girls who participated again when they were age 9. Reasons for attrition included the following: family moved from the area, was no longer interested in participating, or failed to attend data collection session. Complete data were collected from 173 non-Hispanic white girls and their mothers

Measures

Maternal pressure to eat more and mothers’ dietary intake were measured when girls were 7 years old (7.3±0.3). Daughters’ picky eating, daughters’ dietary intake, weight status, and body composition were assessed when they were 9 years old (9.3±0.3). Data obtained when the girls were 7 years old were predictors in the model; data from the girls at age 9 were used for outcome measures in the model and for assessing differences between picky and nonpicky eaters.

Results

For the total sample, as shown in Table 1, girls’ mean daily energy intake was within the recommended range for 9-year-olds and they met recommendations for macronutrient intake. Dietary fiber was less than recommended levels; none of the girls met recommendations (17). Girls’ mean intakes of most vitamins and minerals met recommendations except for vitamin E, calcium, and magnesium, which were less than recommended levels (see Table 2). Girls’ vitamin and mineral intakes were compared EARs to

Discussion

Regardless of whether girls were classified as picky eaters, most girls consumed less-than-recommended amounts of grains, fruits, vegetables, and meats; however, picky girls consumed significantly fewer servings of fruits, vegetables, fats, and sweets than girls who were not picky eaters. Fiber intake followed the same pattern. These results suggest that picky eaters did not consume more fats and sweets to compensate for lower fruit and vegetable intake.

The micronutrient intakes of both groups

Conclusions

These data indicate that the diets of picky and nonpicky eaters were more similar than they were different and suggest that increasing fruit and vegetable intake among all children should continue to be a major focus of interventions. Anticipatory guidance should provide parents with strategies that promote children’s acceptance of a variety of foods, especially fruits and vegetables, particularly increasing availability and modeling fruit and vegetable intake, while discouraging parents from

A. T. Galloway is an assistant professor with the Department of Psychology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC.

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A. T. Galloway is an assistant professor with the Department of Psychology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC.

L. Fiorito is a research assistant and L. L. Birch is a distinguished professor of Human Development with the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park.

Y. Lee is an invited senior researcher, Nutrition Research Team, Department of Health Care Industry, Korean Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), Seoul, South Korea.

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ResearchCurrent researchParental pressure, dietary patterns, and weight status among girls who are “picky eaters”

Abstract

Objective

Design/subjects

Statistical analyses

Results

Conclusions

Section snippets

Participants

Measures

Results

Discussion

Conclusions

Appetite

Appetite

J Am Diet Assoc

Appetite

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Diet Assoc

Appetite

Ann Epidemiol

J Food Composit Anal

J Nutr

J Am Diet Assoc

Appetite

Appetite

J Exp Child Psychol

Learn Motiv

J Nutr

Appetite

The historical and contemporary relationship between developmental psychology of pediatricsA review and empirical survey

Child behavior problemsPrevalence and correlates in rural minority areas of China

Pediatrics Int

The phenomenon of “picky eater”A behavioral marker in eating patterns of toddlers

J Am Coll Nutr

Characteristics of school children who are choosy eaters

J Genet Psychol

Parental influences on young girls’ fruit and vegetable, micronutrient, and fat intakes

J Am Diet Assoc

Fruit and vegetable intake in young children

J Am Coll Nutr

Nutrient databases for food frequency questionnaires

Research
Current research
Parental pressure, dietary patterns, and weight status among girls who are “picky eaters”