ABSTRACT

Objective: The purpose of this study is to provide basic data for identifying research trends on the role of visual cues in the food intake of children through a scoping review. Methods: A total of 14 studies suitable for this study and that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were found through a scoping review in CINAHL, MEDLINE, ProQuest, and ScienceDirect, which are databases for studies published internationally from 1974 to 2022. The selected studies were analyzed by dividing them into general characteristics, as well as the research purpose, procedure, and results. Results: The number of studies showed a steady increase from 1990 to 2019, with the largest number being conducted in the United States. The subjects in such studies were children from 32 months to 18 years in age. Among the studies, 6 focused only on infants and preschool-age children. The visual cues of food were classified according to the color, shape, and size, and during the 2000s, it was found that children tried healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables rather than their favorite foods. Ten out of 14 studies were conducted to increase the amount of food intake in children, and most of the evaluations were conducted to confirm the level of such intake based on clinical observations. Conclusion: : Based on the results of this study, the visual cues of various food can be classified into color, shape, and size, and it was confirmed that such cues affect the level of food intake.