We investigated the relationship between the primary factors for obesity in preschool children and the eating behavior and dietary consciousness of their mothers. Physical signs, biochemical data and frequency of food intake were collected, and a questionnaire on living conditions and life styles was conducted on 245 preschool children aged 4-5 years and their mothers who lived in suburban and rural areas.
The physical characteristics of the children were a height of 105.2±4.5cm (mean±SD) and a weight of 17.7±2.7kg. The degree of obesity was 3.3±11.7%, and 26 (10.6%) of the children were considered to be obese. The rate of skipping breakfast was 25%, while the same rate for dinner was 7% among all the subjects. There were some significant differences between the non-obese and obese children regarding their eating behavior.
For example, the rate of “eating quickly” in the obese group was higher than in the non-obese group. In respect of the dietary consciousness of the mothers, their attitude toward cooking and their interest in food labeling were not related to the childrens' obesity.
To assess the relationship between the primary factors for obesity in the children and the dietary consciousness of the mothers, a principal component analysis was performed regarding the overall dietary consciousness and eating behavior of the mothers. The following four factors were identified: the method of providing meals (first principal component), the mothers' interest in nutrition (second principal component), the mothers' interest in calorie control (third principal component), and the frequency of eating out (fourth principal component).
The score for the third principal component was significantly higher in the obese group than in the non-obese group. Some significant relationships were apparent between the individual factor score of the principal components and the eating behavior of the children. The variables of “have a snack after dinner”, “enjoyment while eating” and “eating quickly” showed a positive correlation, and “eating slowly” while “chewing slowly” showed a negative correlation with the third principal component; namely, carefully controlling the caloric intake.
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