PD941 - AGE AS A DETERMINANT OF DIETARY INTAKE IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN FROM DALMATIA, CROATIA

PD941

AGE AS A DETERMINANT OF DIETARY INTAKE IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN FROM DALMATIA, CROATIA

L. Štrbac^1,2,*, E. Kolak Gaurina^1,2, M. Pleština^1,2, M. Selak^1,2, K. Blažević^1,2, D. Bučan Nenadić^1,2

¹Nutrition and Dietetics Department, University Hospital Centre Split, Split, ²Croatian Association of Nutritionists, Zagreb, Croatia

Rationale: Early childhood is a foundational period for establishing dietary patterns, and  recent evidence suggests that age is a critical moderator in translating behavioral traits into nutritional intake. As children transition through preschool, traits like food fussiness more strongly affect diet due to greater autonomy and environmental influences. By understanding these age-specific transitions, we can better identify at-risk periods and implement timely dietary interventions.

Methods: 429 preschool children aged 3 to 7 years were included. Parents completed the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire. Age, gender, body weight, height, waist and upper arm circumference were collected for each child and z-score was calculated.

Results: Body mass index and z-score did not differ significantly between age groups, with the majority of children maintaining a normal body mass (66%). The highest prevalence of overweight cases was found in the group aged 3 years (18.8%). Height, body mass, waist circumference, and upper arm circumference differed significantly across age groups, with higher median values observed in older children (p<0.001), as expected. Significant age-related differences were observed in food responsiveness (p=0.03) and emotional overeating, which was found to be the highest in the oldest age group (≥6 years old, p=0.01).

Conclusion: Anthropometric measures increase with age, but most children maintain a normal body mass. Overweight is most common in the youngest group, suggesting that age-related dietary changes do not necessarily increase obesity rates. However, certain eating behaviour parameters are found to increase with children’s age. Food responsiveness, a heightened inclination to eat in response to external food cues, and, subsequently, emotional overeating are increased with age, indicating changes in eating patterns and responses as children grow.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared