Maternal feeding practices and nutritional status of preschool children in Lima; [Prácticas alimentarias maternas y estado nutricional del preescolar en Lima]

Abstract

Objective: To determine the relationship between maternal feeding practices and the nutritional status of preschool children. Material and methods: The research design was non-experimental, quantitative, observational, descriptive and cross-sectional. The sample consisted of 117 preschoolers aged 3 to 4 years and their respective mothers. Data collection was by means of a survey consisting of 21 questions on feeding practices. Anthropometric measurements of weight (kg) and height (m) were taken. Fisher’s exact test was applied to relate the variables maternal feeding practices and the nutritional status of the preschooler, with a significance level of 0.05. Results: Seventy-five percent of mothers who engage in inappropriate practices have overweight children. They also avoid providing or preparing soft drinks and/or drinks high in sugar (35%) and 46% avoid fried foods in their diet. 15.4% consumed fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. Likewise, there is a relationship between maternal feeding practices with nutritional status (p=0.001), with weight for height (p=0.001), weight for age (p=0.006) and no relationship with height for age (p=0.173). Conclusion: Mothers had inadequate feeding practices, the consumption of fruits and vegetables was not daily and they rarely avoid giving preparations such as soft drinks and/or drinks high in sugar and fried foods in the diet. It is necessary to implement strategies to improve dietary practices of consumption of varied and seasonal foods in various nutritious preparations, improve healthy cooking techniques. © 2025 Sociedad espanola de dietetica. All rights reserved.