Higher School of Health Promotion, Kraków, Poland.
Student, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Kraków, Poland.
Ann Agric Environ Med. 2022 Jun 24;29(2):287-293. doi: 10.26444/aaem/147850. Epub 2022 Apr 13.
Improper diet of children and their preference for sweet taste may be risk factors for the development of obesity and childhood caries. The aim of the study was to evaluate the taste preferences of preschoolers and to estimate the methods used by parents to shape the nutritional behaviour of their children.
The research covered 108 preschool children and 86 parents. All children completed a pictorial questionnaire containing images of 32 food products. The children expressed their preferences (I really like, I like, I don't like) by choosing the appropriate emoji. The questionnaire for parents concerned the diet of children on days off from kindergarten. The nutritional status of children was evaluated on the basis of the BMI. Children with normal weight/underweight and those overweight / obese were compared using χ or the exact Fisher test.
Most preschoolers indicated that they liked the most crisps, jam, sweets, chocolate and sweet drinks. They also enjoyed fruits which are naturally sweet: apples (97%) and bananas (94%). The favourite vegetables were cucumbers (84%), potatoes (83%), and carrots (77%). Children had a tendency to make incorrect food choices. Fast food was very popular, while fish was disliked. Parents reported that children like meatless sweet dishes (crêpes, pancakes, dumplings). Such factors as unlimited access to sweets at home (p=0.05) and rewarding/motivation with sweets (p=0.013) were significantly associated with a child's overweight/obesity status. Excess body weight was found in 22.1% of children (overweight - 3.5 %; obesity -18.6%).
Children had a clear preference for sweet taste. Reducing the consumption of sweets and increasing the nutritional awareness of parents and children may prevent the development of childhood obesity.
儿童饮食不当和偏爱甜食可能是肥胖和儿童龋齿发展的风险因素。本研究旨在评估学龄前儿童的口味偏好，并估计父母用来塑造儿童营养行为的方法。
研究对象包括 108 名学龄前儿童和 86 名家长。所有儿童均完成了一份包含 32 种食品图片的图片问卷。孩子们通过选择合适的表情符号来表达他们的喜好（非常喜欢、喜欢、不喜欢）。家长问卷涉及孩子们在幼儿园放假期间的饮食。根据 BMI 评估儿童的营养状况。比较体重正常/体重不足和超重/肥胖的儿童使用 χ 或确切 Fisher 检验。
大多数学龄前儿童表示他们最喜欢薯片、果酱、糖果、巧克力和甜饮料。他们也喜欢天然甜的水果：苹果（97%）和香蕉（94%）。最喜欢的蔬菜是黄瓜（84%）、土豆（83%）和胡萝卜（77%）。儿童倾向于做出错误的食物选择。快餐非常受欢迎，而鱼则不受欢迎。家长报告说，孩子们喜欢无肉的甜食（薄饼、煎饼、饺子）。家中无限量供应甜食（p=0.05）和用甜食奖励/激励孩子（p=0.013）与儿童超重/肥胖状态显著相关。22.1%的儿童超重（超重 3.5%；肥胖 18.6%）。
儿童对甜味有明显的偏好。减少甜食的摄入，提高家长和儿童的营养意识，可能有助于预防儿童肥胖的发生。
