ArticleAppetite2018
Antecedents of picky eating behaviour in young children.
Article in Appetite, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
26 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Childhood fussy/picky eating behaviours: a systematic review and synthesis of qualitative studies.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2020Pooled it
- The association of baby-led weaning and picky eating in children aged 2-5 years.Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition · 2026Article
- School-age somatic, internalizing, attention, and social difficulties in moderate anthropometric undernutrition: a primary-care case-control study.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Article
- Infant dietary patterns and early childhood weight outcomes: a secondary analysis from the Starting Early Program Trial.Research square · 2025Article
- Implementation and impact of a virtual educational intervention for parents of fussy eaters.Irish journal of medical science · 2025Observational
- The Development of the Food Averse Questionnaire: A Measure of Food Avoidance in Children With and Without Autistic Spectrum Conditions.Maternal & child nutrition · 2025Article
- Do Children Who Were Preschool Picky Eaters Eat Different Foods at School Lunch When Aged 13 Years Than Their Non-Picky Peers?Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association · 2025Article
- Determinants of vegetable food choice in families with limited food budgets in England: a focus group study to inform vegetable promotion programmes.Journal of nutritional science · 2025Article
- Risk Factors and Consequences of Food Neophobia and Pickiness in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Article
- Parental Decision-Making Around Introducing Complementary Foods: An Integrative Review.Journal of family nursing · 2023Review
- Infant Complementary Feeding Methods and Subsequent Occurrence of Food Neophobia-A Cross-Sectional Study of Polish Children Aged 2-7 Years.Nutrients · 2023Article
- Fussy Eating Rescue, a mobile-web app for responsive feeding practises among parents of toddlers: protocol for a pilot randomised controlled feasibility trial.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2023Article
- Control and Chaos: Caregiver's Basic Psychological Need Frustration is Associated With the Socioemotional Climate When Feeding.Journal of nutrition education and behavior · 2023Article
- Effect of being a persistent picky eater on feeding difficulties in school-aged children.Appetite · 2023Article
- Factors associated with the early emergence of atypical feeding behaviours in infants and young children: A scoping review.Child: care, health and development · 2023Article
- Review
- Article
- Associations between Paternal Anxiety and Infant Weight Gain.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- Picky Eating in Children: A Scoping Review to Examine Its Intrinsic and Extrinsic Features and How They Relate to Identification.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPicky eating behaviour in young children is a common concern for parents.
objectiveTo investigate early life factors which are associated with a child becoming a picky eater.
designSingleton children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children were studied prospectively (n = 5758-6608). Parental-completion questionnaires were used to define 'picky eating' status at age 3 years, and child and parental feeding behaviours and practices throughout the first 2 years of life. Multinomial logistic regression models with 3 levels of picky eating (not, somewhat and very picky) as the dependant variables tested associations with antecedent variables, from pregnancy, and the first and second year of life, separately, then combining all significant variables in a final model.
resultsFeeding difficulties during complementary feeding and late introduction of lumpy foods (after 9 months) were associated with increased likelihood of the child being very picky. A strong predictor was the child being choosy at 15 months, particularly if the mother was worried about this behaviour. Many children (56%) were considered to be choosy at 15 months: 17% went on to be very picky at 3 years if the mother was not worried, compared with 50% if the mother was very worried by the choosiness. The mother providing fresh fruit and eating the same meal as the child were protective against later 'picky eating', while feeding ready-prepared food was predictive.
conclusionAdvice and support to parents could help to reduce picky eating behaviour. Parents should be encouraged to introduce lumpy foods by 9 months, to feed fresh foods particularly fruit, and to eat with their children. Parents should be reassured that choosiness is normal and to continue to provide a variety of foods.
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