Picky eating in preschool-aged children: Prevalence and mothers’ perceptions in South-East Nigeria.

Picky eating (‘fussy’ or ‘choosy eating’) is a common behavior in preschool children, which may persist into late childhood and adolescence [1-4]. It is usually classified as part of a spectrum of ‘feeding difficulties’ where it is the most common form at one end, with severe eating disorders at the other end [5]. There is no consensus yet on a single definition of picky eating but most definitions include an element of restricted intake of familiar foods (often interpreted as loss of appetite) with a further degree of an unwillingness to try new foods or avoidance of new foods (food neophobia) [6]. Despite the absence of a universally accepted definition, picky eating characteristically includes rejection of certain varieties of foods, acceptance of only specific foods, food neophobia, restricted intake of some food groups and strong food preferences [7]. Furthermore, the differences in definitions used in several research settings have resulted in heterogeneity of assessment methods. These methods are broadly classified into two categories: utilization of item(s) from existing validated Background: Picky eating is common in preschool-aged children. Reported prevalence rates are mainly from developed countries, and vary widely because of the diversity of assessment methods and definitions. Mothers’ intervention strategies are presumably related to their perceptions of picky eating.