Food neophobia and its association with nutritional status and diet quality in selected Filipino children ages 2 to 5 in Barangay Gulang-Gulang, Lucena City, Quezon Province

Date

1-2023

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Nutrition

College

College of Human Ecology (CHE)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Aimee Sheree A. Barrion

Abstract

Food neophobia (FN) is the reluctance to eat novel foods. It peaks around the toddler and pre-school years, a sensitive time for developing dietary habits. If this eating behavior persists, children are susceptible to acquiring lifelong unhealthy dietary habits, ultimately affecting their development. Hence, this cross-sectional study involving 88 children aged 2-5 was conducted to describe FN relative to nutritional status (NS) and diet quality (DQ). Data were collected using a computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) online survey. Weight-for-height and height-for-age measurements were used to assess NS. While dietary diversity score (DDS) and Menu Eval Plus for DQ. The Child Food Neophobia Scale (CFNS) was adopted to measure FN. Most children had normal NS. The mean DDS was 4.44, with excessive intake of energy and nutrients. 26.1% of children had high levels of FN. No significant associations were noted regarding age, sex, NS, and DQ. Children with higher CFNS scores had fewer intakes of legumes (p-value=0.041) and vegetables (p value=0.048) and excessive intakes of phosphorus (p-value=0.002), vitamin A (pvalue=0.027), and riboflavin (p-value=0.037). FN in this cohort was attributed to parental education, household income, children's temperament, home food environment, and rewarding. Increasing food exposure represents half the perceived interventions to address FN.

Language

English

LC Subject

diet quality, Filipino children, food neophobia, nutritional status

Location

UPLB College of Human Ecology (CHE)

Document Type

Thesis

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