Association between eating behaviours and food and beverage consumption in male and female children aged 3–6 years: The CORALS cohort

PURPOSE: Eating behaviours influence food intake and long-term eating habits. This study aimed to assess the association between specific eating behaviour traits and the consumption of food and beverage in children aged 3 to 6 years, based on data from the CORAL study. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Spanish CORAL study, a 10-year longitudinal cohort including 1407 participants (699 boys, 708 girls; 4.8 ± 1.0 years). Eating behaviours were assessed using the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) and dietary intake was measured using a validated COME-Kids Food and Beverage Frequency Questionnaire. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to identify dietary patterns. Associations were analysed with multivariable linear regression adjusted for covariates. RESULTS: In both sexes, higher Enjoyment of Food scores were associated with greater consumption of fish, fruits, vegetables, pulses, whole grains, and lower consumption of sweets. In contrast, higher Food Fussiness scores were associated with lower consumption of fruits, vegetables, fish, and pulses, and higher intake of sweets. PCA revealed five dietary patterns per sex, explaining 36.62% of the variance in boys and 36.07% in girls. Enjoyment of Food and Food Fussiness were the traits most strongly associated with distinct dietary patterns (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Eating behaviour traits are clearly associated with diet quality in early childhood. Enjoyment of Food supports healthier eating, while Food Fussiness may compromise it. These findings may inform early prevention strategies to encourage healthy eating habits and reduce the risk of childhood overweight and obesity.