Feeding behaviour and its determinants among healthy toddlers in an urban city of India

Introduction: Growth and development of a child is largely influenced by feeding behaviour. Feeding problem in infancy and childhood is an important aspect since this may be associated with under-nutrition or even childhood obesity. Social, environmental and emotional factors, type and taste of food, perceptions and practices of parents, etc. may all determine feeding behaviour of child. This study tries to find out the proportion of normal toddlers presenting with feeding problem, factors associated with feeding behaviour and their association with physical growth among these toddlers. Methods: A total of 100 mothers of 1 to 3 year-old children visiting for immunization were interviewed using systematic sampling method. A tool was developed by modifying existing tools are review of literature, was pre-tested and used. Association of various factors with eating behaviour and body mass index (BMI) were studied. Variables measured included perceived feeding problem, anthropometric measures, socio-demographic, emotional, environmental, parental factors, etc. Analysis was done using Chi-square test, t-test or Mann-Whitney U test using IBM SPSS v 20.0. Results: Median age of the children was 19 months. 35% had a feeding problem. None of the socio-demographic variables were found to have any association with feeding problem. All children born preterm had eating problem. Feeding problem got undetected if fed by anyone other than mother. The mean TV viewing time for children with eating problem was significantly more (p = 0.017). Education status of mothers had a positive association with body mass index of the child (p=0.010). Anger, forced feeding and sleepy/drowsiness were reported to decrease feeding while happiness, caressing while feeding, semi-solid and liquid foods, eating with siblings and friends, and hearing short stories were reported to increase. Conclusion: Feeding problem was present in 35% of the toddlers. Preterm birth, long hours of TV viewing during feeding, are associated with eating problem. Mothers are the best persons to identify this problem. Better maternal education decreases the burden of under nourished children though it increases those of overweight and obese.