Journal article
Picky eating in children: Current clinical trends, practices, and observations within the Australian health-care context
Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, Vol.70(4), pp.471-486
2023
PMID: 37127548
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Background/aim: Childhood picky eating occurs when there is limited intake or variety of food and/or unwillingness to try new foods. Within research settings, standardised assessments are used to describe picky eating behaviours in children. However, little is known about assessment practices of occupational therapists. Similarly, occupational therapy interventions for picky eating in the literature focus on; providing strategies for parents, and working with the child on self-feeding skills. Despite this, interventions and strategies utilised by occupational therapists in clinical practice within an Australian health-care context are unknown. This study examines Australian health pro-fessionals' observations of picky eating behaviours, the use of childhood picky eating assessments and interventions, and differences between occupational therapists and other professionals. Methods: Health professionals (n = 179) were recruited through professional organisations, such as Occupational Therapy Australia. Participants completed an online survey between March and May 2021. Independent variables were reported using descriptive statistics, with logistic regression used to consider differences between occupational therapists and other health professionals. Conventional content analysis was used to analyse responses to open-ended questions. Results: The final sample included 109 eligible participants, with an average of 8.5 years working with picky eaters. Results indicated picky eating behaviours aligned with those reported in the literature. Participants relied on clinical observations and workplace designed assessments. The most common interventions were education, coaching, and the sequential oral sensory approach to feeding. Occupational therapy participants were significantly more likely than other health professional participants to report always using coaching and education.
Details
- Title
- Picky eating in children: Current clinical trends, practices, and observations within the Australian health-care context
- Authors
- Laine Chilman (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Occupational TherapyPamela Meredith (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Occupational TherapyAnn Kennedy-Behr (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of HealthGabrielle Campbell (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - LegacyThuy Frakking (Author) - Caboolture Hospital (Australia)Libby Swanepoel (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australian Centre for Pacific Islands ResearchMichele Verdonck (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Occupational Therapy
- Publication details
- Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, Vol.70(4), pp.471-486
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- Date published
- 2023
- DOI
- 10.1111/1440-1630.12869
- ISSN
- 1440-1630
- PMID
- 37127548
- Copyright note
- © 2023 The Authors. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Occupational Therapy Australia. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
- Grant note
- Open access publishing facilitated by University of the Sunshine Coast, as part of the Wiley - University of the Sunshine Coast agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians.
- Organisation Unit
- Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research; School of Health - Nutrition & Dietetics; School of Health - Occupational Therapy; Cancer Research Cluster; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Legacy
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99720598002621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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