Children who are caring and kind may be more likely to develop healthy eating habits in adolescence, a new study has found.
The findings, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, indicate that encouraging so-called “prosocial behavior” during childhood could serve as a potential approach to support healthy eating habits.
Researchers led by social epidemiologist professor Farah Qureshi of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health analyzed data from the UK’s Millennium Cohort Study—a nationally representative longitudinal study that tracked children from birth through adolescence.
By examining data from children aged five to 17, researchers found a consistent and meaningful link between prosocial behaviors—like caring for others, cooperating and helping—and greater consumption of fruits and vegetables during the teen years.
“Too often, we focus on what is going wrong in young people’s lives,” Qureshi said. “But what we hear from them time and time again is that they are tired of that narrative. They want us adults to pay more attention to what is going right.”
According to the study’s findings, kids who were regularly described by parents as helpful and kind at ages five, seven and 11 were more likely to report healthier dietary habits at 14 and 17.
The researchers suggest that these prosocial tendencies could provide psychological benefits—like improved mood and resilience—that help drive better decision-making around food.
“Prosocial behaviors… can influence health by strengthening children’s social ties and improving psychological functioning,” explained senior author and psychologist professor Julia K. Boehm of Chapman University.
She added: “All of these, in turn, serve as resources that may inform health-related choices, as is evidenced by our latest findings.”
While the study adjusted for factors like socioeconomic status, parental marital status and earlier eating behaviors, the researchers acknowledge that some family dynamics may still have influenced the results.
Still, the long-term data and large sample size make the findings particularly compelling.
“Supporting prosociality in childhood may be a promising health promotion strategy for future consideration,” said paper co-author and social and behavioral scientist professor Laura D. Kubzansky of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
She called for more asset-based approaches that leverage children’s strengths—like empathy, cooperation and compassion—in public health interventions.
Dr. Qureshi put it simply: “This study offers us an important reminder about the power of kindness and compassion not only for those who receive it, but also for those who give it.”
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Reference
Qureshi, F., Woodward, K. P., Kubzansky, L. D., & Boehm, J. K. (2025). Kind kids, healthy teens: Child prosociality and fruit and vegetable intake. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2025.107965
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