Parental Influence in Forming Preschool Children’s Eating Behaviors—A Cross-Sectional Survey in Chongqing, China

Abstract

Children’s eating habits are closely related to their health problems and the outlook for children’s nutritional statuses appears poor. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among parents of preschool children from December 2018 to January 2019. Sixteen representative kindergartens in 6 districts of Chongqing, China, were included in the study. We took 2200 samples and collected information by questionnaire and after screening, 1781 questionnaires were valid and finally included in the data analysis (n = 1781). Ordinal logistic regression analysis found that age, fathers’ education level, forced diet and perception of children’s body shape were factors associated with children’s eating behaviors (ordered logistic regression/three-level eating behavior; odds ratios p < 0.05). 80.24% of preschool children may have unhealthy eating behavior in this survey and 80.35% of parents had forced their children to eat. Eating behaviors of preschool children in Chongqing are closely related to family factors. This study provides important insight for parents and health care workers in China to improve preschool-aged children’s nutritional behaviors. Intervention programs should focus on parents with low income, low education levels, coercive dietary behaviors and deviated body shape perceptions to reduce children’s eating behavioral problems.

The Effect of the “Colorful Eating Is Healthy Eating” Long-Term Nutrition Education Program for 3- to 6-Year-Olds on Eating Habits in the Family and Parental Nutrition Knowledge

“…The extent to which long-term nutrition education programs for children can improve parental nutrition knowledge and promote positive changes in families’ dietary behaviors should also be evaluated. A limited number of dietary intervention studies have demonstrated that nutrition knowledge and dietary habits can be improved by educational programs targeting only children as well as programs that address both children and their parents [ 28 , 29 ]. According to Kozłowska-Wojciechowska et al [ 30 ], educational programs designed for children and youths are an effective indirect tool for improving parental knowledge about nutrition.…”

<p>Knowledge of Child Health and Affecting Factors Among Preschool Teachers: A Cross-Sectional Study in Chongqing, China</p>

“…However, the awareness of preschool teachers regarding the main causes of obesity in children was only 23%, which was much lower than the awareness rate of the cause and effect relationship of obesity among parents in Chongqing during the same period. 37 This indicates that preschool teachers lack detailed health information regarding childhood obesity, which means the teachers may not provide support to the parents whose children were overweight or obesity in interventions or advice. In addition, the corrected awareness of preschool teachers was less than 20% regarding the correct frequency and time for outdoor exercise for preschool children, which was very different from the results of a study in Singapore, 38 but similar to the result of low physical education literacy of most preschool teachers in China.…”

The need for information on nutrition among adolescents and adult knowledge regarding food consumption recommendations

“…These results prove that adults need to be educated on the topic of nutrition just as children do, because they can then pass such knowledge on to their own children. The importance of parental education in shaping the eating habits of future generations and the links between parental knowledge and the eating habits of children have been confirmed by other researchers (23).…”