Factors Related to Food Consumption Behaviors of Preschool Children Aged 1-5 years in Nakhon Ratchasima Province

Abstract

This cross-sectional research aimed to study 1) demographic characteristics, 2) appropriate food consumption behavior, 3) levels of appropriate food consumption behavior, and 4) factors related to appropriate food consumption behavior among preschool children aged 1-5 years in Nakhon Ratchasima. Population consisted of 165,076 parents and guardians of preschool children aged 1-5 years in 2024. Samples, determined using Krejcie & Morgan's formula, were selected using stratified random sampling at the district and sub-district levels, and were randomly selected in the targeted villages, totaling 384 people. Questionnaire was validated by 3 experts and was pilot tested with 30 non-sample respondents yielding the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.78. Results showed that 1) 54.60% of caregivers were mothers, and 28.90% had underlying medical conditions including diabetes (12.70%), 31.70% completed high school, and 35.90% were general workers with average family income of 15,333.61 Baht/month. About 22.20% of children had an age-appropriate development while 13.00% were overweight, and 11.30% were obese; 2) overall, 13.28% and 3.90% of children aged 1-3 years and 4-5 years exhibited appropriate food consumption behaviors; 3) their appropriate food consumption behavior was at a low level; and 4) factors significantly correlated with their food consumption behaviors were age, underlying medical conditions, education level, monthly income, relationship to the child (parents/guardians), number of siblings, parental order of birth, and child growth at p=0.05.