EATING FROM A SHARED PLATE AFFECTS FOOD-CONSUMPTION IN VITAMIN-A-DEFICIENT NEPALI CHILDREN

This case-control study evaluates the relationship between shared-plat e eating behavior in young Nepali children (aged 1-6 y) and risk of vi tamin A deficiency. Day-long observations of dietary practices were co nducted on 7 d over a 15-mo period in 162 households: 81 households wi th a child with a known history of mild xerophthalmia (cases) were mat ched with 81 having a non-xerophthalmic child of similar age (controls ). Shared-plate eating occurred in 25% of all feeding episodes and at least once in 65% of all days observed. Overall, children engaging in shared-plate eating were significantly more likely to consume grains, vegetables, carotenoid-rich vegetables, pulses, fruits, meats and fish , and dairy products and had significantly larger portion sizes for gr ains, vegetables, fruits, pulses and dairy products, compared with chi ldren who ate alone. In general, feeding behaviors between case and co ntrol children tended to be similar. However, shared-plate feeding epi sodes among case children were significantly less likely to include me ats or fish [odds ratio (OR) = 0.5, confidence interval (CI) = 0.3-0.8 ], dairy products (OR = 0.6, CI = 0.4-0.9) or pulses (OR = 0.7, CI = 0 .5-1.0). Individual plate feeding episodes among case children were mo re likely to include vegetables (OR = 1.3, CI = l.0-1.6)than those of control children. Case children were more likely to share a plate with a male adult (OR = 1.7, CI = 1.0-2.8), but less likely to eat from a plate shared with females of any age compared with controls (female ad ult: OR = 0.6, CI = 0.4-0,9; female child: OR = 0.6, CI = 0.4-1.0). Sh ared-plate eating may benefit a young child's dietary intake, but the identity of the food sharer may modify this influence.