[Association between eating behavior and nutritional status in Chilean preschoolers].

UNLABELLED

INTRODUCCIÓN: the eating behavior is associated with the nutritional status at early ages. However, in Chile there are still no studies that evaluate this relationship in the preschool stage.

OBJECTIVE

to associate the nutritional status and eating behavior of Chilean preschoolers.

METHODS

cross-sectional study in 247 preschoolers (2-4 years) from the region of Araucanía, Chile. The nutritional status was evaluated through the anthropometric index weight/height and waist circumference/age. The Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ) survey was applied to mothers to assess their children's eating.

RESULTS

one hundred and thirty were men and 117 were women with an overweight/obese percentage of 58.6% and 49.6%, respectively. Eating behavior scores pro-intake (food approach) have a positive and significant association with nutritional status) and in the food responsiveness sub-scale in the total sample. Regarding the anti-intake score (food avoidant), an inverse trend with nutritional status is shown; however, there is a negative and significant association in the satiety responsiveness scale and slowness in eating.

CONCLUSION

the pro-intake eating behavior is directly associated with nutritional status, and anti-ingest score is inversely related only to certain sub-scales.