Descrição do comportamento alimentar característico da seletividade alimentar na infância

Abstract

Introduction: Child food refusal is characterized by food avoidance behavior during childhood. With this, it is possible to perceive potential damage to the child's health, making it necessary to detect their characteristics well to enable appropriate nutritional monitoring. Objectives: To describe the demographic, clinical and eating behavior characteristics characteristic of food selectivity in children and adolescents. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study, with data from children aged 2 to 10 years, attended at a private institution in the city of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, whose objective is to carry out food and nutritional education activities. Sociodemographic, clinical, behavioral variables and variables related to the acceptance of foods and drinks in terms of texture and food group (characteristics of food selectivity) were analyzed. The data were tabulated in the Microsoft Excel program and the relative frequency of the total sample was calculated. Results: 288 children were included in the study, predominantly aged 2 to 4 years (48.9%). For the majority of children and adolescents in the sample (75%), the institution was their first contact with the nutritionist. Regarding behaviors characteristic of food selectivity, a frequency of 62.4% of children with difficulty in variability and acceptability was observed, 16.8% with severe restriction, 79.8% with sensory changes (hypersensitivity) and 65.4% with children reporting disgust and retching when in contact with food. Regarding the specific characteristics of the foods consumed, 45.8% reported a preference for crunchy, hard and dry foods, 44.2% for carbohydrate-rich foods, 32.8% industrialized/ultra-processed foods, 42.9% were more reluctant to eat vegetables and vegetables and 63.4% soft/soft texture. Conclusion: The majority of children and adolescents treated at the institution reported having some characteristic behavior of food selectivity, such as difficulty in accepting food and the presence of food disgust. The restriction was greater for vegetables and foods with a soft/soft texture.