Relation between ARFID symptomatology and picky eating onset and duration

Picky eating (PE) is common in early childhood, peaking between ages 1 and 5 years. However, PE may persist beyond this normative period and pose threats to health and psychosocial functioning. Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) involves restrictive eating driven by appetite, preference/selectivity, and/or fear of eating, leading to significant medical and/or psychosocial impairment. This retrospective study examined the relation between early childhood PE onset/duration and ARFID eating restrictions and symptoms. Parents of children ages 6–17 (N = 437) completed a survey about their child's eating behavior, including the Nine-item ARFID Screen (NIAS) and questions about PE onset and impacts. Children were then categorized into groups based on PE onset (before or after age 5) and duration: never picky, normative picky, persistent picky, and late-onset picky. The groups differed (all p