Lee Jookyeong, Russell Alan, Mohebbi Mohammadreza, Russell Catherine G
School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia.
College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia.
Nutrients. 2025 Apr 28;17(9):1489. doi: 10.3390/nu17091489.
Analyses based on a dual-processing approach can contribute to a better understanding of the processes involved in food fussiness in children. This approach combines reactive or automatic avoidance responses together with regulatory processes, such as inhibitory control. Previous research has mainly focused on the avoidance response rather than both avoidance and regulatory control.
The main purpose of the research was to investigate possible processes associated with food fussiness in children older than early childhood and into middle childhood (here, 5-to-12-year-olds) based on a dual-processing approach.
The food fussiness subscale of the Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ) and the impulsivity, fear, shyness and inhibitory control subscales of the Children's Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ) were used. Multivariable regression examined bottom-up/top-down temperament measures as components of the food fussiness process, with the main effects and interactions. ANOVA examined differences in the temperament measures for non-fussy, moderately fussy and severely fussy children.
The regression analysis showed that higher food fussiness was associated with lower impulsivity and lower inhibitory control. There also was a significant interaction between impulsivity and inhibitory control, suggesting that higher food fussiness for some children was associated with a combination of low impulsivity (more behavioral inhibition) and low inhibitory control.
The results suggest that an analysis of food fussiness in terms of higher bottom-up avoidance in tandem with lower top-down inhibitory control is a helpful approach to the interpretation of the core processes involved in food fussiness in children. A better understanding of the fussiness processes can guide approaches to preventive interventions, including for parents of children with food fussiness.
基于双加工方法的分析有助于更好地理解儿童食物挑剔所涉及的过程。这种方法将反应性或自动回避反应与调节过程（如抑制控制）结合起来。以往的研究主要集中在回避反应上，而非回避和调节控制两者。
本研究的主要目的是基于双加工方法，调查幼儿期以上至童年中期（此处为5至12岁）儿童食物挑剔可能涉及的过程。
使用了儿童饮食行为问卷（CEBQ）中的食物挑剔分量表以及儿童行为问卷（CBQ）中的冲动性、恐惧、害羞和抑制控制分量表。多变量回归分析将自下而上/自上而下的气质测量作为食物挑剔过程的组成部分，分析其主效应和交互作用。方差分析检验了不挑剔、中度挑剔和严重挑剔儿童在气质测量上的差异。
回归分析表明，较高的食物挑剔程度与较低的冲动性和较低的抑制控制相关。冲动性和抑制控制之间也存在显著的交互作用，这表明对一些儿童来说，较高的食物挑剔程度与低冲动性（更多行为抑制）和低抑制控制的组合有关。
结果表明，从较高的自下而上回避与较低的自上而下抑制控制角度分析食物挑剔，是解释儿童食物挑剔所涉及核心过程的一种有用方法。更好地理解挑剔过程可以指导预防干预措施，包括针对食物挑剔儿童的父母。
