Aim

To evaluate the nutritional practice in a region of Zaghouan, and to show determinants of inappropriate food behaviors.

Methods

A retrospective study included 160 children (aged from 3 to 5 years), from 4 kindergartens situated in the region of Zaghouan, during 2007. A questionnaire was drawn up, filled by parents or medical staff, concerning food behaviors. They are weight up and height.

Results

Sixty nine percents (69%) of children were breast fed, during 6-12 months in 50%. Diversified food is early before 3 months in 52% of children, and before 6 months in 70%. They are essentially flour in 53%. Vegetal food is introduced in a median age of 3.5 months, fruits at the age of 4 months. An overweight was found in 12. 5% of the cases, and an obesity in 9.5%. The majority (85.7%) was never breast fed persons, and have abnormal food habits in 91% of the cases: early diversified food rich in flour and low in essential elements. Later, the evaluation of food practice have many failures, exposing the children to obesity, related to caloric food, rich of sugar (87.5%), lipid (75%), low in fiber (37.5%) and eating in front of the television (75%).

Conclusion

Children food behaviors depend on parents' habits, the medical board dietetics and the composition of industrial production.