The relationship between parents’ dietary care and food diversity among preschool children in Japan

OBJECTIVE To identify the relationship between preschool children's dietary diversity and parents' care behaviors related to their diet including contents of foods and snacks, mealtime practice, and parent-child communication. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. Data were extracted from the National Nutrition Survey on Preschool Children in 2015 by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. SETTING The distribution of food diversity score (max of 8 points) was confirmed. The participants were divided into higher (≥4 points) and lower (≤3 points) food diversity groups. A comparison between the two groups examined parents' socioeconomic status, children's health and living conditions, and parental care concerning children's diets (13 items). A multiple regression analysis was performed relating food diversity scores to the factors of parental socioeconomic status and child health, and a logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors of parental care related to the higher food diversity group. PARTICIPANTS 2143 persons from households with children aged 2-6 years. RESULTS Parental care concerning children's diets was the factor most strongly associated with children's food diversity scores. Those factors most strongly associated with higher food diversity were nutritional balance of foods (OR: 1.76; 95% CI: 1.44-2.16; p < .0001), snack contents (OR: 1.41; CI: 1.07-1.86; p = 0.014), and regular mealtimes (OR: 1.30; CI: 1.08-1.55; p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS The findings indicate the importance of parents paying attention to the contents of children's foods and snacks, ensuring that children eat regularly, and increasing the diversity of their diets.