OBSERVATION AND COMPARISON OF MEALTIME BEHAVIORS IN A SAMPLE OF CHILDREN WITH AVOIDANT/RESTRICTIVE FOOD INTAKE DISORDERS AND A CONTROL SAMPLE OF CHILDREN WITH TYPICAL DEVELOPMENT |
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| Authors: | Victoria K. Aldridge Terence M. Dovey Nicole El Hawi Antonie Martiniuc Clarissa I. Martin Caroline Meyer |
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| Affiliation: | 1. De Montfort University and University College London;2. Brunel University;3. Midlands Psychology, The Hayes, Stafford Staffordshire, United Kingdom;4. University of Warwick and Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust Coventry, United Kingdom |
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| Abstract: | Despite widespread use of behavioral observations to evaluate child feeding behaviors in research and clinical practice, few studies have comprehensively characterized mealtimes or identified features that differentiate children with and without disordered feeding; these were the aims of the current study. Mealtime observations were conducted for 18 children with avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) and 21 typically developing children. Observations were coded inductively, and associations between disorder and observed mealtime actions were examined. Most behaviors were observed across both clinical and nonclinical mealtimes, and many did not differ in frequency between children with and without ARFID. However, significant group differences were observed in the frequencies of behaviors relating to food intake, visual and physical engagement with feeding, and movement during mealtimes. The comparability of behaviors across clinical and nonclinical groups suggests that eating behaviors exist on a continuum from “normal” to “abnormal,” with group differences relating to frequency rather than type of behavior. The behavioral differences observed in this study suggest that identification of children with ARFID should focus on child engagement with food and restlessness during mealtimes. Reliance on emotional and escape‐maintained behaviors will lead to underrecognition of families in need of clinical support. |
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| Keywords: | behavioral observation child feeding eating behaviors avoidant/restriction food intake disorder observació n de comportamiento alimentació n del niñ o comportamientos de comer Trastorno de Evitar/Restringir el Ingerir Comida Observation du comportement alimentation de l'enfant comportement de l'alimentation Trouble d'alimentation sé lective et/ou d’ é vitement Verhaltensbeobachtung Kinderernä hrung Ernä hrungsverhalten Vermeidung/Einschrä nkung der Nahrungsaufnahme 行 動 観 察 子 ど も に 食 事 さ せ る こ と 摂 食 行 動 回 避 • 制 限 性 食 物 摂 取 障 害 行 為 觀 察 幼 兒 餵 養 飲 食 行 為 逃 避 /限 制 性 食 物 攝 取 障 礙 ا ل ك ل م ا ت ا ل ر ئ ي س ي ة : ا ل م ل ا ح ظ ة ا ل س ل و ك ي ة ، ت غ ذ ي ه ا ل أ ط ف ا ل ، ا ل س ل و ك ي ا ت ا ل غ ذ ا ئ ي ة ، ا ض ط ر ا ب ت ن ا و ل ا ل ط ع ا م ا ل ت ج ن ب ي ا ل م ق ي د |
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