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Early life determinants of dietary patterns in preschool children: Rhea mother-child cohort, Crete, Greece
V Leventakou1, K Sarri1, V Georgiou1
1Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece.
Insights
Three distinct dietary patterns were identified in preschool children: Mediterranean, Snacky, and Western. Socio-economic and lifestyle factors significantly influence these early childhood eating habits.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Public Health
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Understanding children's dietary patterns is crucial for long-term health.
- Early life diet significantly impacts overall health trajectory.
- Focusing on dietary patterns offers a holistic view beyond individual nutrients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify distinct dietary patterns in preschool children.
- To investigate associations between these patterns and socio-economic factors.
- To explore links between dietary patterns and lifestyle characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 1081 children in the Rhea mother-child cohort study in Crete, Greece.
- Employed a validated food frequency questionnaire for dietary assessment.
- Applied principal component analysis for pattern identification and multivariable linear regression for association analysis.
Main Results:
- Identified three primary dietary patterns: 'Mediterranean', 'Snacky', and 'Western', explaining 45.8% of diet variation.
- 'Mediterranean' pattern associated with preschool attendance and maternal time; inversely with TV watching.
- 'Snacky' pattern linked to lower parental education and earlier solid food introduction; 'Western' pattern associated with passive smoking and TV watching.
Conclusions:
- Socio-demographic factors play a significant role in shaping children's dietary preferences at an early age.
- Lifestyle factors like TV viewing and maternal interaction influence adherence to specific dietary patterns.
- Early childhood dietary patterns are influenced by a complex interplay of social and environmental factors.
Background/Objectives:
The determination of dietary patterns in children examines the effects of the overall diet at early ages, instead of looking at individual foods or energy providing nutrients. The present analysis aims to identify the dietary patterns of preschool children and to examine their associations with multiple socio-economic and lifestyle characteristics.
Subjects/Methods:
Dietary data were collected for 1081 children participating in the Rhea mother-child cohort in Crete, Greece. Diet was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire, and dietary patterns were identified with principal component analysis. Multivariable linear regression models were used to examine factors associated with each dietary pattern.
Results:
Three dietary patterns were identified explaining 45.8% of the total diet variation. The 'Mediterranean' pattern was based on pulses, olive oil, vegetables, fish and fruits; the 'Snacky' pattern included potatoes and other starchy roots, salty snacks, sugar products and eggs; the 'Western' pattern contained cereals, cheese, added lipids, beverages and meat. Preschool attendance and increased time spent with the mother (⩾2 h/day) were positively associated with the 'Mediterranean' pattern, whereas watching TV was inversely associated with this pattern. Lower parental education, maternal age and earlier introduction to solid foods were positively associated with the 'Snacky' pattern. Higher scores on the 'Western' type diet were associated with exposure to passive smoking and watching TV. No variation in energy providing nutrient intake was observed across tertiles of the identified dietary patterns.
Conclusions:
The results from this analysis indicate the important role of socio-demographic factors on children's dietary preferences in early age.
