The Effect of Yogurt Consumption on Body Fat Percentage in School-Age Children: A Quantile Regression Analysis

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the association between yogurt consumption and body fat percentage among Chinese children and to analyze the potential influence of factors such as sex, pubertal stage, and physical activity level on this association. Methods: This study conducted a nationwide survey using multi-stage stratified random sampling, including 48,305 children aged 6-17 years. Body fat percentage (BFP) was measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Daily yogurt consumption was adjusted using the density method (daily yogurt consumption = daily yogurt consumption × 1000/total energy consumption). The association between yogurt consumption and body fat percentage was analyzed using quantile regression, with covariates adjusted for participants' age, pubertal development stage, geographical region, total daily energy consumption, physical activity duration, annual household income, parental educational attainment, and consumption of other food categories. Results: Boys aged 6-10 years, 11-14 years, and 15-17 years had median daily yogurt consumptions of 28.6 g, 28.6 g and 21.4 g per day, with BFP values of 19.6, 19.5 and 17.5. Girls in the same age groups showed consumption of 28.6 g, 29.6 g and 28.6 g, with BFP values of 20.3, 26.4 and 31. The quantile regression results for boys showed that daily consumption of yogurt was significantly correlated with their BFP at the 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 0.85 and 0.95 quartiles, with regression coefficients of -0.207, -0.300, -0.688, -0.570, and -0.465 after adjusting for potential confounders. For girls, there was a significant correlation in the 0.75 and 0.85 quartiles, with regression coefficients of -0.290 and -0.582, after adjusting for potential confounders. Conclusions: A significant inverse association was observed between yogurt consumption and body fat percentage, with notable differences between boys and girls. Further intervention studies are warranted to evaluate the long-term effects of incorporating yogurt into the diets of Chinese children and adolescents on body fat percentage and obesity risk.