315 The Ccc2000 Birth Cohort: Patterns of Functional Somatic Symptoms and Eating Behaviours in 5-7-Year-Old Children

Abstract

Background and aims: The spectrum of functional somatic symptoms (FSS) and their relation with regulatory disturbances such as feeding/eating problems in childhood has received little attention. In this study, we analyze the prevalence of FSS and their associations with eating behaviours in 5-7-year-old children. Methods: FSS and eating behaviours were measured in 1,327 children, at 5-7 years of age, from a random sample of the Copenhagen Child Cohort 2000. Parents were interviewed using 1) the Soma Assessment Interview on diverse FSS in children and 2) the Childhood Eating Assessment Inventory, a composite instrument derived from existing instruments and assessing different eating behaviours and their impact. Results: In total, the 1-year prevalence of any FSS was 23.2%, and impairing FSS were found in 4.4%. Problematic eating behaviour in the child was reported by a quarter of the parents. Functional somatic symptoms were significantly associated with picky eating and emotional undereating (χ2=4.6, p< 0.05; χ2= 4.9, p< 0.05 respectively) but not with the other common eating behavioural constructs such as good appetite, poor/slow eating, delayed eating behaviour and snacking. Conclusions: Functional somatic symptoms (FSS) and problematic eating behaviours are frequent complaints in the child population at age 5-7 years. The association between FSS and specific eating behaviours point to a common underlying cause for expression of distress in a subgroup of children with a likely need of clinical intervention.