FORMATION OF FOOD BEHAVIOR STEREOTYPES IN CHILDREN DEPENDING ON AGE

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the formation of disturbances in the eating behavior of children and adolescents due to the irrational structure of food consumption through the use of factor analysis. Material and methods. A survey of 1,058 children living in the city of Mezhdurechensk of the Kemerovo Region was conducted using enquire form with a questionnaire on the frequency of consumption of the main food groups. In the questionnaires, the frequency of consumption of food groups had 5 gradations and the corresponding conditional score. To identify the latent factors that determine the frequency of consumption of specific categories of food, factor analysis - the method of principal components was used. Results and discussion. In pre-school children, two main factors were identified that determine the variability in the frequency of consumption of food. The total influence of factors was 55,5 %. The frequency of food consumption by schoolchildren aged 7-10 years and 11-13 years was different from the age groups of children 3-6 years old and was determined by 3 latent factors, the share of which was 59,6 and 60,6 %. With the increase of years the total influence of factors affecting the frequency of food consumption increases. None of the stereotypes of eating behavior can be considered as rational, since all of them have been characterized by frequent consumption of high-calorie food products against the background of the decrease in biologically valuable foods consumption. The lack of consumption of the main food groups testify to reduced nutritional status. The emerging stereotypes of eating behavior can cause a shortage of intake of nutrients in the body of both preschoolers and schoolchildren.