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Published on: August 7, 2017
Dietary patterns and risk of developing asthma among pre-schoolers
Rodney R Mudau1, Kuku K Voyi2, Joyce J Shirinde3
1University of Pretoria, Department of Human Nutrition, Room 4-6, Level 4 HW Snyman South, Private Bag X323, RSA, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, South Africa.
Insights
A healthy diet may protect preschoolers from asthma. Conversely, diets high in sugary drinks or mixed foods increase asthma risk. These findings suggest diet modification could help prevent childhood asthma.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
- Nutritional Epidemiology
- Public Health Nutrition
Background:
- Early childhood diet is a potential factor in asthma development.
- Understanding dietary patterns is crucial for asthma prevention strategies.
- This study investigates the link between preschooler dietary habits and asthma.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the association between dietary patterns and asthma in preschoolers.
- To identify specific dietary patterns linked to increased or decreased asthma risk.
- To inform potential dietary interventions for childhood asthma.
Main Methods:
- Unmatched case-control study with 189 preschoolers (1-8 years).
- Dietary patterns identified using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) from Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (QFFQ) data.
- Multivariate logistic regression analyzed the relationship between dietary patterns and asthma.
Main Results:
- Four primary dietary patterns were identified: Meat/dressings, Healthy, Sugary/sweetened drinks, and Mixed.
- Sugary/sweetened drinks (aOR 7.0) and Mixed dietary patterns (aOR 4.0) were positively associated with higher asthma probability.
- A Healthy dietary pattern (aOR 0.02) showed a negative association with asthma likelihood.
Conclusions:
- A healthy dietary pattern is associated with a lower likelihood of asthma in preschoolers.
- Dietary modification presents a potential intervention strategy to address rising childhood asthma rates.
- Promoting healthy eating habits may play a role in preventing pediatric asthma.
Background:
Early childhood dietary patterns have been identified as potential factors that can influence the development of asthma in children. The objective of the study was to determine the association between dietary patterns, identified through principal component analysis (PCA), and asthma in pre-schoolers.
Methods:
This unmatched case-control study used data from 3145 pre-schoolers participating in the parent population-based observational study conducted in a District Municipality, Province. The study consisted of 189 pre-schoolers (63 with asthma, 126 controls) between 1 and 8 years. We identified primary dietary patterns by conducting a PCA on reported food consumption data from the Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (QFFQ). Multivariate logistic regression models determined the relationship between food patterns and asthma.
Results:
The results of our study identified four primary dietary patterns that defined the dietary preferences of the pre-schoolers: Meat general and dressings pattern, Healthy dietary pattern, Sugary and/or sweetened drinks pattern, and Mixed dietary pattern. The consumption of sugary and sweetened drinks (adjusted OR 7.0, 95% CI: 2.3-21.1-1; p = 0.00) as well as a Mixed dietary pattern (adjusted OR 4.0, 95% CI: 1.4-11.1; p = 0.03) were positively associated with a higher probability of developing asthma. A Healthy dietary pattern (adjusted OR 0.02, 95% CI: 0.00-0.09; p = 0.00) was negatively associated with an increased likelihood of presenting with asthma.
Conclusions:
In the current study, a Healthy dietary pattern was negatively associated with an increased likelihood of presenting with asthma. Diet modification may be a potential intervention to impact the increasing prevalence of this disease.
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