Early childhood family background predicts meal frequency behaviour in children: Five-year follow-up study

Childhood nutrition patterns have an important role in later health. We studied the role of family type, other family background factors and their changes over a five-year follow-up with respect to meal frequency among children.

Longitudinal data were collected in 2007-2009 and 2013-2014. A nationally representative sample of Finnish children (n = 1822) aged 0.5-5 years at baseline and 5-10 years at follow-up and their families were used. The participation rate was 83% at baseline and 54% at follow-up. Meal frequency was defined as four to six meals per day. The associations of meal frequency with family background factors over a five-year follow-up period were examined by bivariate and multivariate regression analyses.

Eighty-nine per cent of the 5-10-year-old boys and girls had the recommended meal frequency at follow-up. Living in a single-parent family at baseline increased the risk of not eating the recommended number of meals compared with those living in intact families. After adjustments, a mother's low level of education (OR 0.51, CI 0.29-0.93) and a decrease in income sufficiency (OR 0.54, CI 0.35-0.84) during the follow-up period were unfavourably associated with the recommended meal frequency. The difference between children in stable single-parent, reconstituted or joint physical custody families and those living in stable intact families remained significant when controlling for other variables.

Single-parent families with a low socioeconomic position represent important target groups for interventions designed to promote regular meal frequency.