In:
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Wiley, Vol. 63, No. 11 ( 2022-11), p. 1261-1269
Abstract:
Feeding problems are common in early childhood, and some evidence suggests that feeding problems may be associated with psychopathology. Few prospective studies have explored whether toddler feeding problems predict later psychopathology. Methods Mothers of 1,136 children from the Upstate KIDS cohort study provided data when children were 2.5 and 8 years of age. Food refusal (picky eating) and mechanical/distress feeding problems and developmental delays were assessed at 2.5 years. Child eating behaviors (enjoyment of food, food fussiness, and emotional under and overeating) and child psychopathology (attention‐deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD), oppositional‐defiant (OD), conduct disorder (CD), and anxiety/depression) symptoms were assessed at 8 years. Results Mechanical/distress feeding problems at age 2.5, but not food refusal problems, were associated with ADHD, problematic behavior (OD/CD), and anxiety/depression symptoms at 8 years in models adjusting for eating behaviors at 8 years and child and family covariates. Associations with mechanical/distress feeding problems were larger for ADHD and problematic behavior than anxiety/depression symptoms, though all were modest. Model estimates were similar for boys and girls. Conclusions Much of the research on feeding problems focuses on picky eating. This study suggests that early mechanical and mealtime distress problems may serve as better predictors of later psychopathology than food refusal. Parents and pediatricians could monitor children with mechanical/distress feeding problems for signs of developing psychopathology.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0021-9630
,
1469-7610
Language:
English
Publisher:
Wiley
Publication Date:
2022
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1470297-6
SSG:
5,2
