Feeding habits of babies and toddlers in Belgium

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Feeding habits of babies and toddlers in Belgium

• Prepared for Nutricia
• Prepared by Synovate Belgium
• Date March 3rd 2009

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Research overview
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Research Overview

• Key objective of the research was to gain
  detailed insights in the feeding habits of 6-36
  months old babies and toddlers.
• We interviewed n500 parents with kids between 6
  and 36 months old.
• The sample is representative in terms of
  socio-demographic profile

Age of child
First child?
Gender of child
Language
Note complete details of the research design are
included in the Appendix.
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Research OverviewResearch in 2 steps Step 1
diary research
Respondent was asked to inventory all food and
drinks of his/her child during 4 days - these
diaries were analysed by a dietician in terms of
nutritional value and intake of nutrients.
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Research OverviewResearch in 2 steps Step 2
face to face in-home interview
The interviewer probed for the general attitude
of respondent regarding the nutrition of
babies/toddlers and for his/her knowledge about
the feeding requirements of his/her child.
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General attitude towards the nutrition of babies
and toddlers
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Concern with the nutrition of your child
Parents generally claim to be concerned with the
nutrition of their child(ren). This concern
tends to decrease somewhat with the age of the
child.
top 2
92
91
89
85
88
bottom 2
1
1
1
2
1
Base Total sample (n500) Source F2F
interview
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Concern with the nutrition of your childHow
does this show?
Spontaneous answers
I buy healthy food (29)
I buy fresh food (39)
I make sure there is variety in food (27)
I try to avoid candy/biscuits (12)
I dont give food thats too fat (6)
I pay attention (8)
I give him enough milk products (4)
I make sure he gets his vitamines (5)
I feed him on time (5)
I follow advice of the paediatrician (3)
I feed him the right amount of food (4)
I buy bio food (3)
I give water for drinks (2)
Good quality products (2)
I dont give my kid soft drinks (2)
I give what child needs (2)
Base Only respondents who claim to be concerned
with their childs nutrition (n494) Source F2F
interview
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Well informed feeling about the specific
nutritional needs of your child
The majority of parents feel they are well
informed about the nutritional needs of their
children. This is most visible in the group who
has the youngest children.
top 2
80
77
75
71
74
bottom 2
3
2
2
2
2
Base Total sample (n500) Source F2F
interview
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Sources by which you expect to be informed re.
the nutritional needs of your child
HCPs - either health centres, paediatrician / GP
- are seen as the main source of information for
parents about the nutritional needs of their
children, but also peers could contribute to this.
Base Total sample (n500) Source F2F
interview
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Perceived difficulty of implementing information
re. the nutrition of your child
In general parents do not experience it to be
difficult to translate their understanding of the
nutritional needs of the child into the childs
diet. After 24 months this appears to be somewhat
less obvious.
top 2
70
76
69
62
69
B
B
bottom 2
7
12
12
15
14
Base Total sample (n500) Source F2F
interview
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Reasons for perceiving the implementation of info
re. the nutrition of your kid as difficult
Base Respondents who perceive the implementation
of the info as difficult (n61) Source F2F
interview
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Perceived difference between the nutritional
needs of your kid and your own as an adult
Opinions of parents that children have different
nutritional needs are divided. With the age of
the child the conviction decreases that children
have specific needs in terms of nutrition.
C
top 2
38
32
31
26
29
A
A
bottom 2
39
48
50
57
53
Base Total sample (n500) Source F2F
interview
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Why do children have different nutritional needs
(according to parents)?
Spontaneous answers
Child needs more vitamins (29)
Child needs more milk (18)
Child has other needs (17)
Needs more calcium (14)
I prefer to give my child fresh food (12)
Not too much fat (11)
Child needs to eat healthy (7)
Child needs more variety in his meals (8)
My child doesnt need herbs (7)
Child eats smaller portions (8)
Child is too small to eat everything (6)
Child needs to eat on time (4)
Needs more proteine (6)
Needs more fat (4)
Not too much salt (3)
My kid has allergies (2)
Child is a difficult eater (2)
Children eat more times a day (1)
Food needs to be crushed (2)
Base Only respondents who believe the
nutritional needs of their kid are different from
their own as an adult (n252)
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As of which age can a child share the same meal
with the rest of the family
Over 50 of parents is convinced that a child can
share the same meal as the rest of the family as
from 12 months (or even before). Parents in the
French speaking parts believe that the child
needs to be older than 12 months.
12.8
11.3
14.8
Average in months

• In the South there exists
• also a higher perception that
• The nutritional needs of young
• kids are different from older kids
• and/or adults.
• The nutritional needs of children
• evolve with time.
• -A balanced nutrition at a young
• age can avoid later health
• problems.

A
A
B
(A)
(B)
Base Total sample (n500) Source F2F
interview
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Knowledge regarding the nutritional needs of
babies and toddlersTrue perception of selected
statements
Although on some topics there exists a correct
understanding of the general nutritional needs of
children there is also a clear misunderstanding
of some specific nutrients.
Base Total sample (n500) Source F2F
interview
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Knowledge regarding the impact of nutrition at
early age on selected disorders/diseases
Although a majority claims to know that early age
nutrition can have an impact on all listed
diseases / health disorders at later age common
knowledge exists only for a small series of
(general) areas.
Top 2
92
85
85
84
83
81
68
65
64
63
55
53
Base Total sample (n500) Source F2F
interview
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Feeding habits of babies and toddlersdietary
analysis by Serge Pieters, Président UPDLF
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(No Transcript)
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Feeding habits of babies and toddlersConsumption
of white bread and pasta/riceIntake of fibres -
carbohydrates and mono/disaccharides

• -Insufficient amount of fibres (12 months).
• -Insufficient amount of carbohydrates for 1 out
  of 3 (shortage increases with age).
• Overconsumption of mono/dissacharides.

Kids eat mainly white bread and pasta/rice. Its
consumption increases with age.
FIBRES
MONO/DI SACCHARIDES
CARBO- HYDRATES
AB
A
Base Total sample (n500) Source Diary
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Feeding habits of babies and toddlersConsumption
of vegetablesIntake of fibres
Insufficient amount of fibres.
Almost 50 of the kids eats less than 1 spoon of
vegetables per day.
FIBRES
AB
A
Base Children gt 12months old (n390) Source
Diary
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Feeding habits of babies and toddlersConsumption
of ready-made meat productsIntake of saturated
fat and natrium
In general kids overconsume ready-made meat
products. This is especially the case 12 months
(74 vs. 27 6-12 months).
A large majority of the kids consumes too much
saturated fat and has a too high intake of
natrium (esp. 12 months).
NATRIUM
SATURATED FAT
Base Total sample (n500) Source Diary
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Feeding habits of babies and toddlersConsumption
of fruitIntake of fibres
43 of the children eats less than 100 gr. of
fruit per day. The consumption of fruit decreases
with the age of the children.
The intake of fibres amongst most kids is too low.
FIBRES
127 gr. on av.
Base Total sample (n500) Source Diary
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Feeding habits of babies and toddlersConsumption
of sweet desserts and in-betweens
Almost all kids eat at least one sweet dessert or
in-between per day. These concern mainly products
that are not adapted to babies and toddlers
(especially 13 months).
Number of sweet desserts and in-betweens - In
general
Number of sweet desserts and in-betweens - Not
adapted to babies and toddlers
Number of portions per day
Number of portions per day
Base Total sample (n500) Source Diary
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Feeding habits of babies and toddlersConsumption
of dairy products (excl. milk)
As of 12 months old about 3/4 of the kids eat (at
least) 1 dairy product a day.
0.8
0.4
0.9
1
0.9
Av.
Base Total sample (n500) Source Diary
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Feeding habits of babies and toddlersConsumption
of cornflakes
Consumption of -mainly sugared- cornflakes starts
mainly after the age of 12 months and further
increases with age. At 25 months about 1/3 of
children eats cornflakes.
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Feeding habits of babies and toddlersConsumption
of milk that is not adapted to babies and
toddlersIntake of proteins - saturated fat -
iron - Vitamin D
On almost 50 of the occasions kids drink milk
that is not adapted to babies and toddlers - esp.
amongst 12 months (55 vs. only 9 -12 months).

• Overconsumption of proteins (at all age levels
  but slightly decreasing with age).
• Too much saturated fat (esp. 12 months).
• Too little iron and Vitamin D.

VIT D
SATURATED FAT
IRON
PROTEINS
Base Total sample (n500) Source Diary
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Feeding habits of babies and toddlersIntake of
fat - Summary slide
In general children consume too little fat - esp.
12 months. The level of Pufa and Mufa is too low
while the intake of saturated fat is too high
(12 months). The cholesterol level of kids 0-36
months is in line with the norm.
PUFA
MUFA
TOTAL FAT
SATURATED FAT
CHOLESTEROL
Base Total sample (n500) Source Diary
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Feeding habits of babies and toddlersConsumption
of soft drinks and fruit juice in tetraIntake of
energy and mono/disaccharides
-Almost 1 out of 5 kids drunk soft drinks during
the test period (almost all 12 months 1/3 in
this age category). -Consumption of fruit juice
in tetra inreases with age (13 -12m vs. 68 12m.
About 1 out of 3 kids has a too high energy level
- esp. amongst the 12 months.
ENERGY
MONO/DI- SACCHARIDES
56 ml. on av.
30 ml. on av.
AB
A
Amount of fruit juice in tetra drunk
Amount drunk
Base Total sample (n500) Source Diary
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Your questions?