Frequency and correlates of picky eating and overeating in school-aged children: A Portuguese population-based study

Using the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) battery in a non-clinical Portuguese populationbased study, we aimed to examine a broad spectrum of emotional and behavioral problems and competencies, including
picky eating and overeating behaviors in children and youth. Overall, 2687 children from 6 to 18 years old were evaluated
by their parents, teachers and, in the case of children older than 11 years old, by themselves. Picky eating and overeating
were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Youth Self Report (YSR). The frequency of picky eating and
overeating was 23.1% and 24%, respectively. Picky eaters, compared with over eaters and non-picky/non-over eaters, tended
to belong to the younger group of participants, and in turn, over eaters tended to belong to the older group. Overeating was
significantly associated with overweight, which also emerged as a predictor of belonging to the overeating group. Both picky
eaters and over eaters scored significantly higher on all emotional and behavioral problems and DSM-5-oriented subscales.
The results of two independent binary logistic regression analyses indicated that internalizing and externalizing problems,
together with the total problems score emerged as a predictor for both groups, including picky eater and overeater
school-aged children. In accordance with previous studies, our results also supported the possibility that a broader pattern of
potentially non-adaptive emotional and behavioral problems could also be associated with both pickiness and
excessive eating.
Acknowledgements: The authors acknowledge Thomas M. Achenbach, PhD and Leslie A. Rescorla, PhD (ASEBA; University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, & Families) for providing support to the research project that allowed the development of the current study. The authors also acknowledge Lurdes Verissimo, PhD, Maria Raul Lobo Xavier, PhD, and Joana Campos, MA (Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Centre for Studies in Human Development, Faculty of Education and Psychology) for providing support in data collection. The authors are grateful to the Fundação para a
Ciência e Tecnologia/Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)
for the editing support of this publication (Ref. UID/CED/4872/2019).
Funding: This research was supported, in part, by an FCT research
grant to the second author (PTDC/PSI-PCL/105489/2008).