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Young adult nutrition and weight correlates of picky eating during childhood

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 December 2019

Megan H Pesch*
Affiliation:
Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics and the Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, 300 N. Ingalls Street, Room 1111, Ann Arbor, MI48109, USA
Katherine W Bauer
Affiliation:
Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health and the Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Mary J Christoph
Affiliation:
Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
Nicole Larson
Affiliation:
Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
Dianne Neumark-Sztainer
Affiliation:
Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
*
*Corresponding author: Email pesch@umich.edu
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Abstract

Objective:

To identify whether picky eating during childhood is associated with dietary intake, weight status and disordered eating behaviour during young adulthood.

Design:

A population-based study using data from young adults who responded online or by mail to the third wave of the Project EAT (Eating and Activity in Teens and Young Adults) study in 2008–2009. Participants retrospectively reported the extent to which they were a picky eater in childhood, sociodemographic characteristics, disordered eating behaviours, usual dietary intake, and weight and height.

Setting:

Participants were initially recruited in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area of Minnesota, USA, in 1998–1999.

Participants:

The analytic sample included 2275 young adults (55 % female, 48 % non-Hispanic White, mean age 25·3 (sd 1·6) years).

Results:

Young adults who reported picky eating in childhood were found to currently have lower intakes of fruit, vegetables and whole grains, and more frequent intakes of snack foods, sugar-sweetened beverages and foods from fast-food restaurants. No associations were observed between picky eating in childhood and young adults’ weight status, use of weight-control strategies or report of binge eating.

Conclusions:

While young adults who report picky eating during childhood are not at higher risk for disordered eating, those who were picky eaters tend to have less healthy dietary intake. Food preferences and dietary habits established by picky eaters during childhood may persist into adulthood.

Information

Type
Research paper
Copyright
© The Authors 2019
Figure 0

Table 1 Demographic characteristics of the sample of young adults, overall and by endorsement of picky eating during childhood; Project EAT-III (Eating and Activity in Teens and Young Adults), Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, USA, 2008–2009

Figure 1

Table 2 Associations between picky eating during childhood and young adult usual daily dietary intake; Project EAT-III (Eating and Activity in Teens and Young Adults), Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, USA, 2008–2009

Figure 2

Table 3 Associations between picky eating during childhood and young adult weight status, weight-control behaviours and binge eating with loss of control; Project EAT-III (Eating and Activity in Teens and Young Adults), Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, USA, 2008–2009