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Attitudes of pediatricians toward Children's consumption of ionic beverages
Akihisa Okumura1,2, Shinobu Ida3, Masaaki Mori4
1Department of Pediatrics, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Japan. okumura.akihisa.479@mail.aichi-med-u.ac.jp.
Insights
Pediatricians generally have appropriate attitudes toward children consuming ionic beverages. Specialists showed more appropriate recommendations for oral rehydration and fever management than non-specialists.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Clinical Pediatrics
- Beverage Science
Background:
- Understanding pediatrician attitudes towards ionic beverage consumption in children is crucial.
- Ionic beverages are frequently recommended, necessitating a review of their appropriate use.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and clarify the attitudes of pediatricians regarding children's intake of ionic beverages.
- To compare the recommendations and experiences of pediatric specialists versus non-specialists.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire survey was distributed to 537 pediatric practitioners under 60 years old.
- 215 valid responses were collected from board-certified specialists and non-specialists.
Main Results:
- Approximately 60% of pediatricians recommended ionic beverages, with about half advising caution on excessive intake.
- 40% reported cases of excessive consumption with acute symptoms like vomiting and pyrexia.
- Specialists favored ionic beverages for oral rehydration, while non-specialists more frequently recommended them for pyrexia.
Conclusions:
- Pediatricians' attitudes towards children's consumption of ionic beverages are generally appropriate.
- Pediatric specialists demonstrated more appropriate attitudes and recommendations compared to non-specialists.
Background:
The aim of our study was to clarify the attitudes of pediatricians toward children's consumption of ionic beverages.
Methods:
A questionnaire survey of pediatric practitioners' attitudes toward the consumption of ionic beverages was administered to 537 doctors under 60 years of age who were members of the Japanese Pediatric Society.
Results:
We received 215 valid responses from 182 board-certified pediatric specialists and 31 non-specialists. Approximately 60% of respondents recommended ionic beverages either often or sometimes. About half of all respondents cautioned patients about excessive consumption. About 40% had experienced at least one instance of excessive consumption characterized by acute symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, and pyrexia. Specialists were more likely to recommend ionic beverages for oral rehydration than did non-specialists. Non-specialists more often recommended ionic beverages to patients with pyrexia.
Conclusions:
Pediatricians' attitudes toward children's consumption of ionic beverages were generally appropriate. Pediatric specialists' attitudes were more appropriate than were those of non-specialists.