Factors Impacting the Reduction in Neophobia Prevalence in Phenylketonuria Patients

Abstract

Food neophobia (FN), the fear of sampling new foods, can have a significant impact on children's eating habits. Children with phenylketonuria (PKU), a hereditary condition that inhibits the body's capacity to metabolize phenylalanine, should take this attitude with caution. Patients with PKU must follow a rigorous phenylalanine (Phe)-restricted diet to avoid brain malfunction that can include intellectual disability, seizures, and behavioral difficulties. The novelty of our work stems from the fact that we explored the origins of this incorrect intake pattern, which exacerbates PKU patients' already fragile health. We conducted a cross-sectional study on 34 previously diagnosed phenylketonuria patients and a control group ranging in age from 7 months to 40 years, with a sex ratio of M/F 2:1. The Food Neophobia Scale (FNS) was used to determine neophobia. We used JASP (version 0.18.1) statistical analysis to examine the relationship between neophobia and PKU condition, age and nutritional status at the time of study, diet compliance, parental educational level, period from birth to PKU diagnosis, and environmental (rural/urban) provenience of PKU patients. According to the data, 61.76% of patients with PKU were neophobic, as were 70.57% of the control group. Food neophobia was associated with PKU patients' present age, the period from birth to PKU diagnosis, and parental educational level.

Keywords: neophobia; nutrition; phenylketonuria.

Figure 1

Responses to the food neophobia questionnaire using the Likert scale.

Figure 2

Statistical correlations among analyzed variables. Significance levels: *** p < 0.001, ** p < 0.01, * p < 0.05. Nonsignificant correlations are marked as ‘NS’. The color gradient in the figure reflects the strength of significance, with deeper shades representing more substantial associations, and lighter tones suggesting comparatively lower statistical significance. Positive correlation coefficients denote positive associations, while negative correlation coefficients indicate negative associations.