Curr Pediatr Res 2016; 20 (1&2): 156-163 ISSN 0971-9032 www.currentpediatrics.com Curr Pediatr Res 2016 Volume 20 Issue 1 & 2 156 Picky eating in preschool-aged children: Prevalence and mothers’ perceptions in South-East Nigeria. Samuel N Uwaezuoke 1 , Kenechukwu K Iloh 1 , Charles E Nwolisa 2 , Ikenna K Ndu 3 , Chizoma I Eneh 3 1 Department of Paediatrics, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria. 2 Department of Paediatrics, Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, Nigeria. 3 Department of Paediatrics, Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria. Introduction Picky eating (‘fussy’ or ‘choosy eating’) is a common behavior in preschool children, which may persist into late childhood and adolescence [1-4]. It is usually classifed as part of a spectrum of ‘feeding diffculties’ where it is the most common form at one end, with severe eating disorders at the other end [5]. There is no consensus yet on a single defnition of picky eating but most defnitions include an element of restricted intake of familiar foods (often interpreted as loss of appetite) with a further degree of an unwillingness to try new foods or avoidance of new foods (food neophobia) [6]. Despite the absence of a universally accepted defnition, picky eating characteristically includes rejection of certain varieties of foods, acceptance of only specifc foods, food neophobia, restricted intake of some food groups and strong food preferences [7]. Furthermore, the differences in defnitions used in several research settings have resulted in heterogeneity of assessment methods. These methods are broadly classifed into two categories: utilization of item(s) from existing validated Background: Picky eating is common in preschool-aged children. Reported prevalence rates are mainly from developed countries, and vary widely because of the diversity of assessment methods and defnitions. Mothers’ intervention strategies are presumably related to their perceptions of picky eating. Objective: The study aims to determine mothers’ perceptions of picky eating in preschool- aged children and to estimate its prevalence in a developing country. Methods: A total of 240 mother-child dyads who met the study criteria were enrolled from the children’s outpatient clinics of three major tertiary health institutions in the south- eastern part of Nigeria. Study-specifc questions to defne picky eating, incorporated into an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire, were used to obtain data in line with the study objectives. Using descriptive statistics, data were analyzed on SSPS and presented in frequencies and percentages. Results: Based on the adopted defnition of picky eating in the study, the estimated prevalence rate was 17.5%. For mothers of picky eaters (n=55), 20/55 (36.4%) of them believed ‘picky eating is always abnormal for children at any age’, 13/55 (23.6%) felt ‘picky eating is always abnormal for children at any age and leads to poor weight gain’, 2/55 (3.6%) believed ‘picky eating is always abnormal, leads to poor weight gain and should be corrected by parents’, 8/55 (14.6%) responded that ‘the child can learn picky eating from older children/siblings’, while 12/55 (21.8%) maintained that ‘picky eating leads to poor weight gain in children’. The mothers’ self-reported intervention strategies included coercion to eat (18/55; 32.7%), the reward approach (12/55; 21.8%), and self-prescribed medications (15/55; 27.3%). Conclusion: The prevalence of picky eating in this clime is comparable to rates in developed countries. Mothers’ perceptions of picky eating determine their self-reported intervention strategies. Abstract Keywords: Picky eating, Preschoolers, Prevalence, Mothers’ perceptions, Interventions. Accepted August 11, 2016