Relationship between parents' nutritional knowledge, feeding practices and children's food intake. A survey in the Gardermoen region, 2019

The purpose of the survey "Relationship between parents' nutritional knowledge, feeding practices and children's food intake. A survey in the Gardermoen region, 2019" has been to (1) map and describe children's food intake (vegetables, fruit and berries, fish and added sugar in food and drink) , parents 'nutritional knowledge and parents' practices regarding food and drink for their children (feeding practice). Furthermore, the aim was to (2) investigate differences in the children's food intake, the parents' nutritional knowledge and feeding practices among different groups. Finally, to (3) investigate possible connections between the parent's nutritional knowledge, feeding practices and the children's food intake. A cross-sectional study was conducted among parents of kindergarten children, 1-5 years in Nes municipality (n = 111). The committee answered an online questionnaire. The parents' feeding practice was mapped with The Comprehensive Feeding Practice Questionnaire. The parents' nutritional knowledge was tested via a knowledge test. A food frequency questionnaire charts the children's weekly frequency intake.

Results and conclusion: The median intake of added sugar in the food was 6 times a week. The children's median intake of vegetables was 7, and for fruit 9 times a week. For the intake of fish, some children had a low frequency intake, while others often ate fish during the week. The total weekly median intake was 6. The parents generally had good nutritional knowledge. Small differences in the knowledge level were found between different groups. High use of the feeding practices encouragement, environment (access to healthy food) and role modeling had a positive relationship with the children's intake of vegetables. The parents' use of encouragement was also associated with a higher frequency of fish intake. Environment and emotional regulation were positively related to fruit intake. The child's age was most important for both the parents' use of feeding practices and for the difference in frequency intake. Medium and high use of encouragement was the most important predictor of a high intake of fish in children, adjusted for relevant background variables.