Children’s poor growth and nutrition status has serious consequences and therefore it is important to understand its contributing factors.

A community-based interventional study focusing on child feeding was conducted in a rural community in China. Data from the intervention group at baseline (1–4 months of age) and follow-up visits (12 and 18 months of age) were used in the present study (n 236). A structural equation model was generated to explore the effects of family wealth, household food safety, dietary intake, diseases and other factors on the growth and nutrition of young children.

Mother’s knowledge and behaviours on household food safety had positive effects on children’s weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ; βdirect=0·03 and 0·15, respectively, at 12 months of age; βdirect=0·02 and 0·08, respectively, at 18 months; P<0·05) and weight-for-length Z-score (WLZ; βdirect=0·04 and 0·21, respectively, at 12 months of age; βdirect=0·01 and 0·06, respectively, at 18 months; P<0·05). While mothers’ feeding behaviours and children’s dietary intake at 12 months of age were positively associated with WAZ and/or WLZ at current and later ages, children’s diseases were negatively associated with WAZ and WLZ cross-sectionally.

Caregiver’s knowledge and feeding behaviours, and children’s dietary intake and diseases, are factors influencing the WAZ and WLZ of children. Promoting feeding and health knowledge and behaviours at early stages of childhood can improve children’s physical growth at later ages.

Childhood obesity has become a major public health problem in many countries. To explore the risk factors of overweight in infants and young children might be helpful in developing an early overweight intervention strategy.

To assess the prevalence of overweight and the relationship of parental characteristics and feeding practices to overweight in infants and young children in Beijing, China.

Data on weight and length/height were collected on 4654 children aged 1–35 months in twelve communities in Beijing from a cross-sectional study. Overweight was defined as weight-for-length/height ≥2sd above the median of the WHO reference. Two hundred and fifteen families with overweight children and 215 families with normal-weight children were interviewed using a questionnaire to obtain feeding practices.

The overall prevalence of overweight was 4·7 %. Both parental overweight and low parental education were significantly higher among overweight than normal-weight children. The total energy intake was significantly higher in overweight than in normal-weight children at 12–35 months of age. Compared with normal-weight children, significantly fewer overweight children were breast-fed for at least 4 months. Overweight children were also more likely to have been introduced to infant formula and semi-solid foods during the first 4 months.

Early prevention strategies should include feeding practices identified as putting children at risk of obesity. These include early cessation of breast-feeding and premature introduction of other foods.