Natural Observations of Snacking Behavior in Young Children

Given the increases in the occurrences of childhood obesity and the subsequent associated long-term health risks, a better understanding of the factors contributing to childhood obesity (such as early food intake) is necessary. The current study took a novel approach to this issue by documenting natural snacking behavior in 121 6- to 24-month-old infants during a one-hour-long home observation of everyday behavior between caregivers and their infants. Results were analyzed based on age and motor skill (sitting, crawling, new walkers, experienced walkers). In terms of snack characteristics, there were no age or motor skill differences for duration or frequency of snacking, suggesting that the occurrence of snacking in the home is similar in infants 2 years and younger. Type of food differed by age and motor skill. Interestingly, caregivers and infants played different roles in initiating and terminating snacking events, with caregivers most often initiating the snack (except for the 24-month-olds). All ages and motor skill level infants were more likely to terminate the snack. Snack environment (such as caregiver presence, screen use, co-snacking, location) and snacking motor behaviors (such as posture, constrained behavior, locomotion, frequency of self-feeding, method of eating) differed across age and motor skill, demonstrating that both age and motor skill do impact key characteristics of natural snacking behavior. The findings from this study add to our understanding of snacking behavior in young children and may inform interventions targeting obesity in infants and young children.