{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,19]],"date-time":"2026-06-19T22:36:26Z","timestamp":1781908586972,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":59,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,11]],"date-time":"2023-08-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1691712000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title><jats:p>Early childhood feeding environments and practices not only affect children's nutritional status but also provide children with a variety of external stimulations to affect the development of the child's brain, especially for the first 1,000 days of children. The relationship between early childhood development (ECD) and feeding practices during the dietary transitional period has not previously been described.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Method<\/jats:title><jats:p>This study used quantitative survey data from the Integrated Early Childhood Development Project to investigate this association between ECD and feeding practices during the dietary transitional period in poor rural areas of China. Data concerning the child and family characteristics and feeding practices were collected through the questionnaire completed by caregivers. Developmental delays were explored through a five-pronged, structured, parent-completed Age and Stage Questionnaire. The chi-squared test and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to explore the associated factors in ECD.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>The results showed that 33.6% of children had at least one area of developmental delay during the dietary transitional period. Of all five regions evaluated, the prevalence of fine motor developmental delays was highest (17.7%), followed by communication (14.9%), problem-solving (13.8%), personal-social skills (11.9%), and gross motor (11.8%), respectively. Significant predictors of increased odds of developmental delay included types of complementary foods (OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.53\u20130.94), adequate feeding frequency (OR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.52\u20130.90), and breastfeeding time and bottle feeding (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.50\u20130.88).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title><jats:p>According to the results, a high prevalence of developmental delay was observed in children during the dietary transitional period in the rural areas of China. The feeding practices of children were associated with their developmental status, including factors such as inadequate feeding frequency, types of complementary foods, breastfeeding duration, and low family income. These findings highlight the focus and potential direction for early identification and intervention.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2023.1202712","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,11]],"date-time":"2023-08-11T14:36:08Z","timestamp":1691764568000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["The relationship between early childhood development and feeding practices during the dietary transitional period in rural China: a cross-sectional study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Yihua","family":"Liu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chun","family":"Chang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.1111\/psyp.12547","article-title":"Neurocognitive development in socioeconomic context: Multiple mechanisms and implications for measuring socioeconomic status","volume":"53","author":"Ursache","year":"2015","journal-title":"Psychophysiology"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"77","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(16)31389-7","article-title":"Early childhood development coming of age: science through the life course","volume":"389","author":"Black","year":"2017","journal-title":"Lancet."},{"key":"B3","first-page":"4","article-title":"Approach to the diagnosis of developmental delay - the changing scenario","volume":"139","author":"Neerja","year":"2014","journal-title":"Indian J Med Res."},{"key":"B4","unstructured":"Tracking preschool children with developmental delay: third grade outcomes299306\n            DelgadoCE\n            VagiSJ\n            ScottKG\n          16792431Am J Mental Retard.1112006"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"78","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rppede.2015.10.001","article-title":"Functional performance of school children diagnosed with developmental delay up to two years of age","volume":"34","author":"Dornelas","year":"2016","journal-title":"Rev Paul Pediatr."},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1037\/a0021834","article-title":"Psychological and physical health at age 70 in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936: links with early life IQ, SES, and current cognitive function and neighborhood environment","volume":"30","author":"Wendy","year":"2011","journal-title":"Health Psychol."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"41","DOI":"10.1186\/s12887-019-1406-x","article-title":"Quality of care and suspected developmental delay among children aged 1-59 months: a cross-sectional study in 8 counties of rural China","volume":"19","author":"Yang","year":"2019","journal-title":"BMC Pediatr."},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7165","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph18137165","article-title":"Complementary feeding methods-a review of the benefits and risks","volume":"18","author":"Boswell","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"796","DOI":"10.1016\/j.appet.2011.05.316","article-title":"Development of healthy eating habits early in life. 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