Eating habits: what foods do children between 12 and 36 months consume?

a cross-sectional study of quantitative analysis, with a sample of 808 toddlers who attended day care centers in the district of Viseu, Portugal, between November 2018 and September 2019. Data were collected using a questionnaire directed at parents.

Results:

the prevalence of children who ate six meals a day was 42.8%, and 42.5%, those who ate five meals. It was found that 2.0% of children consumed chocolates, 1.0%, desserts, and 0.4%, carbonated beverages, daily. On average, dairy product (M=5.61; SD=2.62) and meat/fish/egg (M=4.80; SD=3.57) consumption was higher than recommended, while fat (M=0.48; SD=0.40), legume (M=0.49; SD=0.45), vegetable (M=1.18; SD=0.87) and water (M=0 .51; SD=0.29) consumption was lower.

Conclusions:

there was a higher or lower consumption than recommended for some foods, highlighting the need to implement nursing intervention programs aimed at promoting healthy eating habits in toddlers and families.

Descriptors:
Child; Child Day Care Centers; Eating Habits; Food; Nursing

Age Nº of meals	12-23 months		24-35 months		36 months		Total		Residuals			X²2 Fernandes CSG. Educar para a adoção de hábitos de vida saudáveis: uma estratégia de prevenção da obesidade infantil [Dissertação][Internet]. Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Coimbra: Coimbra 2018 [cited 2022 Feb 23]. Available from: https://comum.rcaap.pt/bitstream/10400.26/21950/1/CARLA_FERNANDES.pdf https://comum.rcaap.pt/bitstream/10400.2... (p)
Age Nº of meals	n (376)	% (46.5)	n (356)	% (44.1)	n (76)	% (9.4)	n (808)	% (100.0)	1	2	3
4	32	8.5	49	13.8	9	11.8	90	11.1	-2.2	2.1	0.2	10.038 (n. s.)
5	158	42.0	146	41.0	39	51.3	343	42.5	-0.2	-0.7	1.6
6	173	46.0	149	41.9	24	31.6	346	42.8	1.7	-0.5	-2.1
7	13	3.5	12	3.4	4	5.3	29	3.6	-0.2	-0.3	0.8

Frequency	Chocolates		Desserts		Fast food		Carbonated beverages
Frequency	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%
Every day	16	2.0	8	1.0	-	0.0	3	0.4
Once a week	211	26.1	185	22.9	11	1.4	27	3.3
Twice or more times a week	123	15.2	73	9.0	4	0.5	10	1.2
Once a month	84	10.4	159	19.7	126	15.6	38	4.7
Twice or more times a month	57	7.1	104	12.9	37	4.6	16	2.0
Do not eat	317	39.2	279	34.5	630	78.0	714	88.4

BMI percentage	Weakly		Sporadically		Total		Residuals		p value^*
BMI percentage	n	%	n	%	n	%			p value^*
Chocolates	(350)	(71.3)	(141)	(28.7)	(491)	(100.0)	1	2
Underweight	4	1.1	-	0.0	4	0.8	1.3	-1.3	1.309 (n. s.)
Normal weight	238	68.0	99	70.2	337	68.6	-0.5	0.5
Overweight	75	21.4	28	19.9	103	21.0	0.4	-0.4
Obesity	33	9.4	14	9.9	47	9.6	-0.2	0.2
Desserts	(266)	(50.3)	(263)	(49.7)	(529)	(100.0)	1	2
Underweight	1	0.4	2	0.8	3	0.6	-0.6	0.6	1.671 (n. s.)
Normal weight	176	66.2	182	69.2	358	67.7	-0.7	0.7
Overweight	57	21.4	55	20.9	112	21.2	0.1	-0.1
Obesity	32	12.0	24	9.1	56	10.6	1.1	-1.1
Fast food	(15)	(8.4)	(163)	(91.6)	(178)	(100.0)	1	2
Underweight	-	0.0	2	1.2	2	1.1	-0.4	0.4	2.537 (n. s.)
Normal weight	10	66.7	108	66.3	118	66.3	0.0	0.0
Overweight	5	33.3	35	21.5	40	22.5	1.1	-1.1
Obesity	-	0.0	18	11.0	18	10.1	-1.4	1.4
Carbonated beverages	(40)	(42.6)	(54)	(57.4)	(94)	(100.0)	1	2	X²2 Fernandes CSG. Educar para a adoção de hábitos de vida saudáveis: uma estratégia de prevenção da obesidade infantil [Dissertação][Internet]. Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Coimbra: Coimbra 2018 [cited 2022 Feb 23]. Available from: https://comum.rcaap.pt/bitstream/10400.26/21950/1/CARLA_FERNANDES.pdf https://comum.rcaap.pt/bitstream/10400.2... (p)
Normal weight	23	57.5	32	59.3	55	58.5	-0.2	0.2	0.583 (n. s.)
Overweight	12	30.0	13	24.1	25	26.6	0.6	-0.6
Obesity	5	12.5	9	16.7	14	14.9	-0.6	0.6

Variables	n	Max.	$\bar{X}$	SD	CV%
Amount of cereals	807	11.43	4.07	1.62	39.85	8.62	8.26
Amount of vegetables	803	4.0	1.18	0.87	74.30	7.24	-1.41
Amount of fruits	805	6.88	2.27	0.81	35.43	5.17	23.23
Amount of legumes	807	2.67	0.49	0.45	92.27	1.77	17.84
Amount of dairy	805	26.0	5.61	2.62	46.69	18.92	46.37
Amount of meat/fish/eggs	586	24.43	4.80	3.57	74.36	18.88	28.38
Amount of fat	806	2.60	0.48	0.40	83.53	9.85	6.24
Amount of water	801	2.0	0.51	0.29	56.77	16.24	20.11

Age Variables	12-23 months		24-35 months		36 months		Total		Residuals			X²2 Fernandes CSG. Educar para a adoção de hábitos de vida saudáveis: uma estratégia de prevenção da obesidade infantil [Dissertação][Internet]. Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Coimbra: Coimbra 2018 [cited 2022 Feb 23]. Available from: https://comum.rcaap.pt/bitstream/10400.26/21950/1/CARLA_FERNANDES.pdf https://comum.rcaap.pt/bitstream/10400.2... (p)
Age Variables	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%	Residuals
Amount of cereals	(376)	(46.5)	(355)	(44.0)	(76)	(9.4)	(807)	(100.0)	1	2	3
Below recommended	232	61.7	168	47.3	30	39.5	430	53.3	4.5	-3.0	-2.5	23.018 (^* ***** p<0.001; )
Recommended	112	29.8	136	38.3	36	47.4	284	35.2	-3.0	1.6	2.3
Above recommended	32	8.5	51	14.4	10	13.2	93	11.5	-2.5	2.2	0.5
Amount of vegetables	(373)	(46.5)	(355)	(44.2)	(75)	(9.3)	(803)	(100.0)	1	2	3
Below recommended	351	94.1	336	94.6	71	94.7	758	94.4	-0.3	0.3	0.1	0.114 (n. s.)
Recommended	22	5.9	19	5.4	4	5.3	75	5.6	0.3	-0.3	-0.1	0.114 (n. s.)
Amount of dairy	(373)	(46.3)	(356)	(44.2)	(76)	(9.4)	(805)	(100.0)	1	2	3
Below recommended	54	14.5	9	2.5	-	0.0	63	7.8	6.5	-5.0	-2.7	43.315 (^* ***** p<0.001; )
Recommended	89	23.9	93	26.1	20	26.3	202	25.1	-0.7	0.6	0.3
Above recommended	230	61.7	254	71.3	56	73.7	540	67.1	-3.0	2.3	1.3
Amount of fruits	(374)	(46.5)	(355)	(44.1)	(76)	(9.4)	(805)	(100.0)	1	2	3
Below recommended	52	19.3	36	10.1	7	9.2	95	11.8	1.7	-1.3	-0.7	12.689 (^* * p<0.05; n. s.- not significant. )
Recommended	296	79.1	278	78.3	55	72.4	629	78.1	0.6	0.1	-1.3
Above recommended	26	7.0	41	11.5	14	18.4	81	10.1	-2.7	1.2	2.5
Amount of legumes	(375)	(46.5)	(356)	(44.1)	(76)	(9.4)	(807)	(100.0)	1	2	3
Below recommended	325	86.7	295	82.9	61	80.3	681	84.4	1.7	-1.1	-1.0	5.543 (n. s.)
Recommended	27	7.2	33	9.3	11	14.5	71	8.8	-1.5	0.4	1.8
Above recommended	23	6.1	28	7.9	4	5.3	55	6.8	-0.7	1.1	-0.6
Amount of meat/fish/eggs	(267)	(45.7)	(262)	(44.9)	(55)	(9.4)	(584)	(100.0)	1	2	3
Below recommended	21	7.9	22	8.4	4	7.3	47	8.0	-0.1	0.3	-0.2	6.311 (n. s.)
Recommended	41	15.4	26	9.9	3	5.5	70	12.0	2.3	-1.4	-1.6
Above recommended	205	76.8	214	81.7	48	87.3	467	80.0	1.8	0.9	1.4
Amount of fat	(376)	(46.7)	(355)	(44.0)	(75)	(9.3)	(806)	(100.0)	1	2	3	p value^* * p<0.05; n. s.- not significant.
Below recommended	353	93.9	319	89.9	66	88.0	738	91.6	2.2	-1.5	-1.2	7.869 (n. s.)
Recommended	5	1.3	3	0.8	1	1.3	9	1.1	0.5	-0.7	0.2
Above recommended	18	4.8	33	9.3	8	10.7	59	7.3	-2.6	1.9	1.9
Amount of water	(373)	(46.3)	(356)	(44.2)	(76)	(9.4)	(805)	(100.0)	1	2	3	X²2 Fernandes CSG. Educar para a adoção de hábitos de vida saudáveis: uma estratégia de prevenção da obesidade infantil [Dissertação][Internet]. Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Coimbra: Coimbra 2018 [cited 2022 Feb 23]. Available from: https://comum.rcaap.pt/bitstream/10400.26/21950/1/CARLA_FERNANDES.pdf https://comum.rcaap.pt/bitstream/10400.2... (p)
Below recommended	341	91.7	312	88.4	62	81.6	715	89.3	2.0	-0.7	-2.3	7.345 (n. s.)
Recommended	21	5.6	26	7.4	9	11.8	56	7.0	-1.4	0.4	1.7
Above recommended	10	2.7	15	4.2	5	6.6	30	3.7	-1.5	0.7	1.4

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[1] Corresponding author: Catarina Saraiva Marinho, E-mail: catarin_marinho@hotmail.com