Food habits in 10-11-year-old children with functional gastrointestinal disorders

To evaluate the role of food habits and nutrient intake in children with functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) considering their association with psychosocial factors.

Cross-sectional.

A rural town in Mid-Western Finland.

After excluding organic gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, a total of 49 children with FGID and 78 control children without GI symptoms from a cohort of 422 children were studied.

Food frequency questionnaire, GI-symptoms questionnaire and the Child Behaviour Check List (CBCL) filled in by parents together with their child, and 24-h dietary recall and anthropometric and haematological measurements.

Compared to control children, fewer children with FGID had daily family dinner (77 vs 91%, P = 0.030) and they used less often vegetables (P = 0.023), fruits (P = 0.027) and berries (P = 0.011), but more often ice cream (P = 0.018) and soft drinks (P = 0.027) and had a higher sucrose intake (9 vs 7E%, P = 0.032) and lower lactose intake (27 vs 36 g, P = 0.001). Reported food-related symptoms were more common among FGID group (69 vs 11%), as well as restricted milk use (31 vs 0%). Children with FGID had higher total problem scores in CBCL (P=0.002), and the behavioural/emotional problems associated with occurrence of FGID (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.07-1.076) as did the sugar intake (OR 1.1, 95% CI 1.004-1.215).

This population-based study suggests that school-aged children with FGIDs have less-organized food habits and higher milk avoidance, and they display internalizing psychological characteristics.

Juho Vainio Foundation, Finland; the Alma and K.A. Snellman Foundation, Oulu, and the Pediatric Research Foundation, Finland.