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Diet and Respiratory Health in Children from 11 Latin American Countries: Evidence from ISAAC Phase III
Alfonso Mario Cepeda1, Sumaiyya Thawer2, Robert J Boyle3
1Fundación Hospital Universitario Metropolitano de Barranquilla, Barranquilla, Colombia.
Insights
A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is linked to fewer allergic symptoms in Latin American children. Conversely, fast food consumption correlates with increased wheezing in adolescents, highlighting the need for dietary interventions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
- Public Health Nutrition
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Childhood asthma and allergies represent a significant public health concern in Latin America.
- Dietary patterns are increasingly recognized as potential modifiable risk factors for allergic diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between dietary intake and allergic symptoms in children from Latin America.
- To identify specific food groups that may influence the prevalence of asthma, rhino-conjunctivitis, and eczema.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 143,967 children across 11 Latin American countries participating in the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase III.
- Employed logistic regression and meta-analyses to examine the relationship between self-reported dietary intake and current wheeze, rhino-conjunctivitis, and eczema.
Main Results:
- Higher fruit intake was associated with a reduced risk of current wheeze, rhino-conjunctivitis, and eczema in younger children (6-7 years).
- Vegetable intake showed a similar protective association in younger children, though attenuated in adolescents (13-14 years).
- Increased fast food/burger consumption was positively associated with all three allergic outcomes in older children.
Conclusions:
- Promoting higher consumption of fruits and vegetables may help mitigate the prevalence of allergic symptoms in Latin American children.
- Fast food intake appears to be a risk factor for wheezing in adolescents.
- Dietary interventions targeting children, particularly those with asthma, are warranted to assess the impact of improved nutrition on respiratory health.
Background And Aim:
The burden of childhood asthma and its risk factors is an important but neglected public health challenge in Latin America. We investigated the association between allergic symptoms and dietary intake in children from this region.
Methods:
As part of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase III, questionnaire collected dietary intake was investigated in relation to risk of parental/child reported current wheeze (primary outcome) and rhino-conjunctivitis and eczema. Per-country adjusted logistic regressions were performed, and combined effect sizes were calculated with meta-analyses.
Results:
143,967 children from 11 countries had complete data. In children aged 6-7 years, current wheeze was negatively associated with higher fruit intake (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.65; 95% CI 0.74, 0.97). Current rhino-conjunctivitis and eczema were statistically negatively associated with fruit intake (aOR 0.72; 95% CI 0.64, 0.82; and OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.56, 0.74, respectively). Vegetable intake was negatively associated with risk of symptoms in younger children, but these associations were attenuated in the 13-14 years old group. Fastfood/burger intake was positively associated with all three outcomes in the older children.
Conclusion:
A higher intake of fruits and vegetables was associated with a lower prevalence of allergic symptoms in Latin American children. Conversely, intake of fastfood was positively associated with a higher prevalence of wheeze in adolescents. Improved dietary habits in children might help reduce the epidemic of allergic symptoms in Latin America. Food interventions in asthmatic children are needed to evaluate the possible public health impact of a better diet on respiratory health.
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