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Updated: Jul 28, 2025
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Analysis of dietary patterns on cardiovascular risks in children: from a cross-sectional and a longitudinal study
1Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Health and Nutrition, Chongqing, China.
Insights
A diet low in nuts and algae is linked to higher risks of high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, and obesity in children. These findings highlight the need for dietary recommendations to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) in pediatric populations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition Science
- Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology
- Dietary Pattern Analysis
Background:
- Diet is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD).
- Limited evidence exists on the relationship between dietary patterns (DP) and CVD risk in children.
- This study addresses the gap in understanding pediatric DP and CVD risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the association between dietary patterns (DP) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in children.
- To identify specific dietary patterns prevalent in children aged 6-12.
- To investigate the longitudinal impact of DP on CVD risk factors.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional and longitudinal study design involving 4351 children (aged 6-12) in 2014, with follow-up in 2019.
- Dietary intake assessed using a food frequency questionnaire.
- Four major dietary patterns (DP) were identified and analyzed for association with CVD risk factors.
Main Results:
- Four dietary patterns were identified: low nuts/algae, low-energy, high-energy, and regular DP.
- The low nuts and algae pattern was significantly associated with increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obesity in 2014.
- This pattern also showed an increased risk of hypertension in the 2019 follow-up.
Conclusions:
- A dietary pattern low in nuts and algae in children is associated with elevated cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.
- These findings underscore the importance of developing national dietary recommendations for CVD prevention in children.
- Targeting nut and algae intake may be crucial for pediatric CVD risk management.
Objectives:
Diet is one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), while the evidence about the relationship between dietary pattern (DP) and CVD in children is scarce. This study aims to explore the association between DP and CVD risk in children.
Study Design:
This was a cross-sectional and longitudinal study.
Methods:
This research was conducted among 4351 children aged 6-12 years old in 2014, then the subgroup children in 2014 were followed up in 2019. Dietary intakes were assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. DP was clustered based on 15 food items, and finally, four main DPs were obtained.
Results:
Four major DPs were identified: (1) low intake of nuts and algae pattern, (2) low-energy intake pattern, (3) high-energy intake pattern, and (4) regular DP. Compared with the regular diet pattern, the low intake of nuts and algae pattern was associated with the increased risk of higher systolic blood pressure (107.71 mm Hg vs 105.78 mm Hg, P < 0.001), diastolic blood pressure (64.98 mm Hg vs 63.91 mm Hg, P = 0.0056), hypertension (odds ratio [OR]:1.44, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10, 1.88; P = 0.0036), dyslipidemia (OR: 2.41, 95% CI: 1.28, 4.52; P = 0.0194), and obesity (OR: 1.48, 95% CI: 1.16, 1.89; P = 0.0003) in children from a cross-sectional aspect in 2014 and it was also found associated with an increased risk of hypertension (OR: 2.67, 95% CI: 1.45, 4.92; P = 0.0017) in 2019.
Conclusions:
Low nuts and algae intake combinations in children seemed associated with increased CVD risk. Such findings are imperative for national development of dietary recommendation for the prevention of CVDs.
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