The Environmental and Bitter Taste Endophenotype Determinants of Picky Eating in Australian School-Aged Children 7–12 years—A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study Protocol

Rati Jani, Rebecca Byrne, Penny Love, Cathy Agarwal, Fanke Peng, Yang Wai Yew, Demosthenes Panagiotakos and Nenad Naumovski
Additional contact information
Rati Jani: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra 2617, Australia
Rebecca Byrne: School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4001, Australia
Penny Love: School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University, Victoria 3216, Australia
Cathy Agarwal: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra 2617, Australia
Fanke Peng: Department of Arts & Communication, School of Design and the Built Environment, Faculty of Arts and Design, University of Canberra, Canberra 2617, Australia
Yang Wai Yew: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia
Demosthenes Panagiotakos: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Science & Education, Harokopio University, 17676 Athens, Greece
Nenad Naumovski: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra 2617, Australia

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 5, 1-14

Abstract: Caregivers’ perceptions of children’s pickiness are relatively scarce in relation to the five core food groups and their importance in providing a nutritionally balanced diet. Furthermore, there is no validated questionnaire that examines child-reported food preferences in an age-appropriate manner, and the use of terms such as a “picky eater” can be attributed to environmental and genetic factors. Despite potential links between children’s food preferences and endophenotype bitter taste, associations between bitter taste sensitivity and picky eating is relatively unexplored. The proposed cross-sectional study aims to develop and validate a parent-reported core-food Picky Eating Questionnaire (PEQ) and child-reported Food Preference Questionnaire (C-FPQ) and simultaneously investigate environmental and phenotype determinants of picky eating. The study will be conducted in three stages: Phase 1, piloting PEQ and C-FPQ questionnaires (15–20 primary caregivers and their children aged 7–12 years); Phase 2 and 3, validating the revised questionnaires and evaluating the 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) bitter taste sensitivity to examine perception to bitter taste (369 primary caregivers and their children). Study findings will generate new validated tools (PEQ, C-FPQ) for use in evidence-based practice and research and explore picky eating as a behavioural issue via the potential genetic-phenotype basis of bitter taste sensitivity.

Keywords: picky eating; endophenotype; 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP); bitter taste sensitivity; food preferences (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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