Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Appetite. 2023 Jul 1;186:106546. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.106546. Epub 2023 Mar 21.
Eating behaviours affect food intakes and are involved in the aetiology of obesity. There has been impetus to translate findings about children's eating behaviour into intervention and policy programs. However, measurement limitations have hindered our capacity to understand and influence children's eating behaviours. In the present paper we provide an overview of some of the key methodological and measurement issues facing the field of children's eating behaviours and highlight implications for research and health promotion. Drawing on insight from parallel issues that occur in the measurement of early social and emotional development, we examine two overlapping themes in children's (aged 0-∼12 years) eating behaviours (1) measurement issues related to validity and reliability, and (2) associated methodological challenges, such as contextual influences and the importance of designing studies that use multiple informants and multiple methods. We then suggest insights and strategies aimed at advancing approaches to measurement of children's eating behaviours. To progress our understanding of children's eating behaviours, we conclude that a range of psychometrically sound, fit-for-purpose measurement instruments and procedures are needed for use in multi-trait, multi-method, multi-informant studies in a range of populations and contexts.
饮食习惯会影响食物摄入，并且与肥胖的病因有关。已经有动力将有关儿童饮食习惯的发现转化为干预和政策计划。然而，测量上的限制阻碍了我们理解和影响儿童饮食习惯的能力。在本文中，我们概述了儿童饮食习惯领域面临的一些关键方法学和测量问题，并强调了这些问题对研究和健康促进的影响。借鉴在早期社会和情感发展测量中出现的类似问题的见解，我们检查了儿童（0-∼12 岁）饮食习惯中的两个重叠主题（1）与有效性和可靠性相关的测量问题，以及（2）相关的方法学挑战，例如环境影响以及设计使用多种信息来源和多种方法的研究的重要性。然后，我们提出了旨在推进儿童饮食习惯测量方法的见解和策略。为了加深我们对儿童饮食习惯的理解，我们得出结论，需要一系列具有良好心理测量特性、适合特定用途的测量工具和程序，以便在各种人群和环境中进行多特征、多方法、多信息来源的研究。
