Art therapy based on painting approach on eating behavior and maladaptive problems in children of Malayer city

Prevalence of childhood eating problems is far from being described in preadolescence. A range of eating behavior problems has been described in preadolescence. However, knowledge of the development and course of these problems are not understood. Because eating pathology most commonly emerges in adolescence, the preadolescent years may be a particular key-development period of interest in relation to the development of eating behavior problems. Parents have challenges on their children’s eating behaviors. One important determinate of children’s eating behaviors is the feeding practices that parent’s use. Among the behavioral abnormalities of children, one can point out their behavioral problems during meals. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of art therapy based on painting approach on eating and maladaptation problems in children. The items can be grouped into two broad categories: items pertaining to the child and items pertaining to assess food preferences, motor skills, and behavioral compliance. The items in the parent domain are indented to assess parental child behavior controls, cognitions and feeling about feeding one’s child and interaction between family members.

 The research was semi-experimental (post-test pretest with control group). The statistical population of this study was on 4-6 year-old children. Using randomized cluster sampling from 5 kindergartens and preschool children from Malayer city (Hamedan province, west of Iran), 30 children with behavioral and incompatible problems were selected as sample and randomly selected in two groups (15 children in experimental group and 15 children in control group). The instrument used was Rutter's parent behavioral assessment questionnaire (1979) and the child behavioral eating inventory (CEBI, 1990). The Rutter’s parent behavioral assessment assesses four dimensions of anxiety and depression, antisocial behaviors, social incompatibility and hyperactivity, a lack of attention, which includes 31 questions. The CEBI is a parent- report instrument that conceptually derived from a transactional/ systemic approach to childhood eating and mealtime problems. The CEBI has 40 items. The intervention program (art therapy) was run in accordance with a protocol at 8 sessions of 45-30 minutes and twice a week. Art therapy was one-to-one. Although in one of the schools it was also offered in a small, closed group, all the children spoke only about one-to-one art therapy. The art therapist met with parents and teacher first to obtain their understandings of the child’s difficulties, and to enquire about developmental history, sources of resilience in the child and family, and any traumatic events. Engagement in art or other activities together that had a creative element, such as play, gardening or choosing clothes, may be enquired about. The art therapist then met with the child to talk about what difficulties therapist and child might work on together, explain how making art may help the child to talk about and understand difficult feelings, and explain about confidentiality.

Covariance analysis showed a significant difference between the mean scores of pre-test and post-test in both experimental and control groups. Finding was for eating disorders (F₌201.146, p≤0.001) and for maladaptive problems (F₌50.38, p≤0.001).

Therapeutic painting program was effective in reducing the eating disorder also the results of the findings showed that art therapy with a painting approach was effective in improving the compatibility of children with eating behavior problems. Compliance problems in these children were behaviors such as excessive extortion, repetitive behavioral habits, and turbulent mood. On the other hand, art is like a behavioral exercise that teaches children how to recognize their emotions in different situations and use them to adapt to those learned skills.