[Socioeconomic pattern in unhealthy diet in children and adolescents in Spain]

To investigate the possible association of dietary patterns associated with obesity and socioeconomic status in Spanish children and adolescents.

Cross-sectional study.

Data were drawn from the 2007 National Health Survey, conducted on a representative sample of Spanish 0-15 years. In this study we have analyzed 6143 subjects from 5 to 15 years.

It has been estimated prevalence of breakfast skipping, the prevalence of low consumption of fruit and vegetable and the prevalence of high fast food, snacks and sugary drinks consumption. Socioeconomic status indicators were educational level and social class of primary household earner. In each type of food consumption socioeconomic differences were estimated by prevalence ratio using the higher socioeconomic status as reference category.

Both in childhood and adolescence, the magnitude of the prevalence ratio shows an inverse socioeconomic gradient in all foods consumption investigated: the lowest and highest prevalence ratios have been observed in subjects from families of higher socioeconomic status and lower, respectively.

Unhealthy food related with obesity show a clear socioeconomic pattern in Spanish children and adolescents.