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. 2019 Apr 8;19(1):388.
doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-6722-4.

Factors associated with early introduction of complementary feeding and consumption of non-recommended foods among Dutch infants: the BeeBOFT study

Lu Wang  1 , Amy van Grieken  1 , Laura A van der Velde  2 , Eline Vlasblom  3 , Maaike Beltman  3 , Monique P L'Hoir  4 , Magda M Boere-Boonekamp  5 , Hein Raat  6
Affiliations

Factors associated with early introduction of complementary feeding and consumption of non-recommended foods among Dutch infants: the BeeBOFT study

Lu Wang et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Timing and types of complementary feeding in infancy affect nutritional status and health later in life. The present study aimed to investigate the factors associated with early introduction of complementary feeding (i.e., before age 4 months), and factors associated with infants consumption of non-recommended foods, including sweet beverages and snack foods.

Methods: This study used cross-sectional data from the BeeBOFT study (n = 2157). Data on complementary feeding practices and potential determinants were obtained by questionnaire at infant's age of 6 months. Logistic regression models were used to investigate factors associated with early introduction of complementary feeding and infants' consumption of non-recommended foods.

Results: 21.4% of infants had received complementary feeding before 4 months of age. At the age of 6 months, 20.2% of all infants were consuming sweet beverages daily and 16.5% were consuming snack foods daily. Younger maternal age, lower maternal educational level, absence or shorter duration of breastfeeding, parental conviction that "my child always wants to eat when he/she sees someone eating" and not attending day-care were independently associated with both early introduction of complementary feeding and the consumption of non-recommended foods. Higher maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and infant postnatal weight gain were associated only with early introduction of complementary feeding.

Conclusions: We identified several demographical, biological, behavioral, psychosocial, and social factors associated with inappropriate complementary feeding practices. These findings are relevant for designing intervention programs aimed at educating parents.

Trial registration: The trail is registered at Netherlands Trial Register, trail registration number: NTR1831 . Retrospectively registered on May 29, 2009.

Keywords: Introduction of complementary feeding; Risk factors; Snack foods; Sweet beverage.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The research proposal was reviewed by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Erasmus University Medical Center. Based on their review, the Committee concluded that the Dutch Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act did not apply to this research proposal. The Medical Ethics Committee therefore had no objection to the execution of this study (proposal number MEC-2008-250). Written informed consent was obtained from all the study participants.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The frequency of consumption of non-recommended foods by the infant at the age of 6 months (n = 2157)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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