(P02-096-25) The Influence of Child Temperament on Snack Food Consumption During Early Childhood in a Diverse Population

Objectives: Unhealthy snack food consumption during early childhood is associated with obesity. There is limited research on the influence of child characteristics on snack food consumption in diverse populations. This study examined associations between snack food consumption with temperament and weight-for-length z-scores (WFLz) in a diverse sample of young children.

Methods: This cross-sectional analysis included 96 children (ages 9-24 months) and their mothers. Mothers reported child temperament using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire (surgency, negativity, and reactivity). Child dietary intake was assessed using the mean of three 24-hour dietary recalls. All food and beverages were categorized by trained researchers as “salty snacks” (e.g., chips), “sweet snacks” (e.g., cookies), or “commercial baby snacks” (e.g., puffs) using What We Eat in America categories. Snack foods were further categorized by frequency (mean snacks/d) and energy (mean kcal/d). Multivariate linear regression models examined associations between frequency of and energy from snack foods with temperament controlling for variables related to child growth. Bivariate correlations examined the frequency of and energy from snack foods with child WFLz.

Results: Mothers self-identified as Asian (1.0%), Black (19.8%), Hispanic (12.5%), Multiracial (6.3%), and White (60.4%). Results show that mean energy from all snack foods was predicted by surgency (β=35.24, p=0.05), along with its subscales activity level (β=30.56, p=0.048) and vocal reactivity (β =26.57, p=0.05), in adjusted models. Mean frequency of sweet snacks consumption was predicted by perceptual sensitivity (β 0.13, p=0.03) in adjusted models. There were no other significant associations between snack foods and temperament. Results show that child WFLz was positively correlated with frequency of sweet snacks (r=0.23, p=0.03) and negatively correlated with frequency of commercial baby snacks (r=−0.26, p=0.01). There were no other significant correlations.

Conclusions: Surgency, described as high levels of positivity, was associated with increased energy from snack food consumption in a diverse sample of young children. Future research is needed to examine whether the known relationship between surgency and obesity is mediated by snack food consumption.

Funding Sources: Children’s Mercy Research Institute