Abstract：Objective To investigate the prevalence of picky eating behavior and its family influencing factors among preschoolers so as to provide references for preventing and improving eating preference behavior among them. Methods A stratified random cluster sampling method was used to select 1,070 children aged 3-6 years in 7 kindergartens in Urumchi city. An investigation was conducted by using Children’s Family General Questionnaire, Identification and Management of Feeding Difficulties and Family Rearing Environment Scale for Children Aged 3-6 Years. Rank sum test, χ2 test and logstic regression analysis were applied to identifying the influencing factors. Results The prevalence rate of eating preference behavior among preschool children was 31.40%. Multivariate analysis showed that younger children (OR=0.510, 95%CI:0.430-0.603), language/cognitive information (OR=0.959, 95%CI:0.926-0.994), social adaptation/self-care in family rearing environment (OR=0.959, 95%CI:0.924-0.996), activity diversity/play participation (OR=0.873, 95%CI:0.827-0.922) and higher score of environmental atmosphere dimension (OR=0.794, 95%CI:0.736-0.856) were protective factors for the preschoolers’ picky eating behavior. Lower educational level of children’s primary caregiver (OR=1.929, 95%CI:1.656-2.247), stem family (OR=1.796, 95%CI:1.260-2.561), showing a high or low level of total household monthly income (OR=1.368, 95%CI:1.028-1.820) and the higher scores of neglect/intervention/punishment dimensions in family rearing environment (OR=1.043, 95%CI:1.008-1.079) were risk factors for the preschoolers’ picky eating behavior. Conclusions It is necessary to cultivate children’s eating habits from an early age, enhance health education on the cultivation of children’s dietary behavior among the main caregivers with lower educational level, from families with low or high household monthly income and from stem families, and actively improve family rearing environment so as to prevent children from eating preference behavior.
2020, Vol. 27 
