Preschool Age Children (Ages 2 to 4 Years) Background
The preschool years are characterized as a time of increasing autonomy,
expanding language skills, increasing ability to control behavior, and
broadening social circumstances, such as attending preschool or staying
with friends or relatives (100). Preschool children continue to expand
their gross and fine motor capabilities and by age 4 years, a child can
hop, jump on one foot, ride a tricycle or bicycle with training wheels,
and throw a ball overhand. Most children consume the foods eaten by the
rest of the family by age 2 to 3 years. Feeding is not as messy because
the child can use a fork, spoon, and cup well, although the ability to
use a knife to cut or spread foods is not fully developed. The overall
rate of growth continues to be relatively slow, with periods of growth
"spurts." Consequently, the preschool child has a relatively
small appetite with periods of increasing food intake in advance of a
growth spurt. Although the preschool child's intake may fluctuate widely
from meal to meal and day to day, over a week's time the intake remains
relatively stable because preschool children have the ability to self-regulate
food intake and to adjust their caloric intake to meet caloric needs (133).
The child's increasing autonomy and expression of food preferences, combined
with a variable appetite, cause many parents to describe their child as
a "picky eater" (100).
Many factors make assessing intake in this age group difficult: preschool
children eat small amounts of food at frequent intervals; they are not
able to complete questionnaires on their own and have a limited cognitive
ability to recall, estimate, and otherwise cooperate; they often spend
time under the care of several individuals; and their food habits and
nutrient intakes may change rapidly (134-136).
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