A Study on the Influence and Correlation of Dietary Structure and Lifestyle Behavior Patterns on Growth and Development in Children Aged 3–7 Years

Objective To analyze the relationship between diet and lifestyle behaviors with the growth development of preschool children (aged 3–7) in Wuxi City, providing a scientific basis for implementing a healthy diet and lifestyle. Methods A stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select study participants. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect demographic information. The dietary diversity score (DDS), dietary behaviors, and current lifestyle were analyzed. Children's growth and development were assessed using BMI-Z scores. Variance analysis and logistic regression were employed to explore the relationships. Results A total of 3727 preschool children were included. The average DDS was 5.07 ± 1.94, with 36.79% of children showing low dietary diversity (DDS ≤ 4). The largest proportion of children (53.13%) had normal growth (-1 ≤ BMI-Z ≤ 1). The children were divided into four groups based on BMI-Z scores, and statistically significant differences were observed across age, current height, current weight, birth weight, DDS, parental BMI, and maternal pre-pregnancy weight (P < 0.05). Low dietary diversity, nighttime snacking, 1–2 hours of daily screen time, and ≥ 2 hours of daily screen time were positively correlated with childhood obesity (P < 0.05). After adjusting for factors such as child’s age, gender, birth weight, parental BMI, family income, number of family members dining together, family type, and primary caregiver, low dietary diversity remained significantly associated with obesity. Conclusion Greater attention should be given to preschool children with low dietary diversity, frequent nighttime snacking, and extended screen time to prevent obesity. Targeted interventions addressing these factors should be considered.