RISK FACTORS OF PICKY EATING IN CHILDREN UNDER 5 YEARS OLD IN HUE CITY

Background: Picky eating is the rejection of a number of foods and low intake in children and is linked to nutritional problems. It is relatively common among infants and children but is now still not well defined. Objectives: To find out some risk factors of picky eating. Methods: A case-control study was conducted on 184 picky eaters and 368 non-picky eaters. Questionnaire was used for face-to-face interviewing parents or caregivers of children. Statistical analyze was carried out with SPSS version 20. Univariable and multivariate logistic regression analysis with Backward method were used to find out some risk factors of picky eating. Results: Some risk factors of picky eating found by univariable analysis were feeding person not mother, food preference not the same as caregivers, eating snacks, sweets before meals, times of exposure to novel food, physical or mental violence (threats), other members of the family with picky eating (p<0.05); time of weaning, not self-feeding, mixing medications with food (p<0.01); pressure eating, distraction at mealtimes, fear of taking medications, using supplements, vitamins…, stress of caregivers, family conflicts relating to the child’s picky eating (p<0.001). Mutlivariate analyze showed some risk factors were time of weaning, food preference not the same as caregivers, distraction at mealtimes, eating snacks, sweets before meals, using supplements, vitamins…, not self-feeding, threats. Conclusions: Risk factors of picky eating were diversified. Parents and caregivers should understand some risk factors to prevent children from picky eating as well as to modify some eating behaviours of children. Key words: Picky eating, risk factors, children under 5