Caregivers’ Role in the Effectiveness of Two Dutch School-Based Nutrition Education Programmes for Children Aged 7–12 Years Old

Childhood eating behaviours can track into adulthood. Therefore, programmes that support early healthy eating, including school-based nutrition education programmes, are important. Although school-based programmes may be beneficial in improving nutrition knowledge, impact on actual fruit and vegetable (FV) intake is generally limited as FV intake is also influenced by the home environment. The current study includes secondary analyses of data from an evaluation study on Dutch nutrition education and examined the role of caregivers’ health promotion behaviours (HPB) in influencing healthy eating behaviours in primary school children (n = 1460, aged 7–12 years) and whether caregivers’ HPB contribute to programme effectiveness. Children’s nutrition knowledge, FV intake and caregivers’ HPB (FV/sugar-sweetened beverages/sweets provision to take to school, cooking together and talking about healthy food at home) were measured by child-reported questionnaires at baseline, during, and 6 months post-programme. Results indicated that caregivers’ HPB was positively associated with children’s healthy eating behaviours and that programme effectiveness was highest in those in the lower HPB subcategory. In conclusion, children with less encouragement to eat healthily at home potentially benefit more from school-based nutrition education programmes than children receiving more encouragement. This highlights the important role of the home environment in supporting healthy eating behaviour in children.     

Parenting Styles,Food Parenting Practices and Dietary Intakes of Preschoolers

Previous evidence suggests that children’s eating behaviors were largely influenced by the parent and home eating structure. This study examined the relationship between parenting styles (including authoritative, authoritarian, indulgent, and uninvolved), food parenting practices (within Structure, Coercive Control, and Autonomy Support constructs) and dietary intakes of preschoolers. Children aged 3–5 years and their parents were recruited from preschools/daycare centers and parents completed the surveys (n = 166). Dietary intakes were collected using the Harvard Service Food Frequency Questionnaire (HSFFQ), parenting style was assessed using the Parenting Dimensions Inventory-Short Version (PDI-S), and food parenting practices were measured using Comprehensive Home Environment Survey (CHES). The results showed that food parenting practices had a higher number of specific significant findings on children’s nutrient and food group intakes than parenting styles. Correlation analyses showed positive parenting practices within Structure were significantly related to healthier children’s intakes (e.g., vegetables, iron, and folate) and less unhealthy dietary intakes (e.g., sweets and total fats). Regression models show that children with authoritative parents consumed more fruits compared to children with authoritarian parents and indulgent parents. The results addressed the importance of parental influences for preschoolers’ healthy dietary intakes, which suggested that future interventions and educational programs could enhance parenting practices to impact child diet.     

Use of Food Practices by Childcare Staff and the Association with Dietary Intake of Children at Childcare

The study explored the associations between various childcare staff food practices and children’s dietary intake at childcare. A total of 398 one- to four-year-old children and 24 childcare staff members from 24 Dutch childcare centers participated in the study. Children’s dietary intake (fruit, vegetable, sweet snack, savory snack, water, and sweet drink intake) at childcare was registered on two weekdays, using observations by dieticians and childcare staff. Thirteen childcare staff practices were assessed using questionnaires administered by dieticians. Data were analyzed using multilevel regression analyses. Children consumed relatively much fruit and many sweet snacks at childcare, and they mainly drank sweet drinks. Various staff practices were associated with children’s dietary intake. When staff explained what they were doing to the children during food preparation, children ate significantly more fruit. Children ate less sweet snacks when they were allowed to help prepare the meals. When staff encouraged children to continue eating, they ate more vegetables. In conclusion, the study showed the importance of childcare staff food practices for children’s food intake at childcare. More research is needed to examine the specific conditions under which food practices can have a positive impact on children’s dietary intake.     

Fussy Eating among Children and Their Parents: Associations in Parent-Child Dyads,in a Sample of Children with and without Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Parents are important agents in shaping children’s eating habits. However, the associations between children’s and parents’ eating behaviors are complex and may be convoluted for various reasons, such as parenting feeding styles, stressful mealtimes, and children’s neurodevelopmental disorders (ND), such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The purpose of this study was to analyze associations between parents and their children’s fussy eating, in a cross-sectional sample of children, with and without ND. Ninety-seven parents answered screening questionnaires prior to an intervention study. Associations were investigated using two-way ANOVAs and chi-square analyses. Overall, children with ND accepted fewer food items and consumed unhealthier foods more frequently than children without ND. Fussy eating parents had children who accepted fewer food items and consumed unhealthier foods more frequently than children whose parents were not fussy eaters. Interaction effects were not significant. A higher proportion of fussy eating parents, than non-fussy eating parents, had children who had difficulties with combined foods and hidden ingredients. The findings highlight the need for further investigation into the relationships between parents’ influence on their children’s eating behavior and food consumption, as well as possible reciprocal impacts.     

The Association between Australian Childcare Centre Healthy Eating Practices and Children’s Healthy Eating Behaviours: A Cross-Sectional Study within Lunchbox Centres

The association between healthy eating practices and child dietary intake in childcare centres where parents pack foods from home has received little attention. This study aimed to: (1) Describe the nutritional content of foods and beverages consumed by children in care; and (2) Assess the association between centre healthy eating practices and child intake of fruit and vegetable servings, added sugar(grams), saturated fat(grams) and sodium(milligrams) in care. A cross-sectional study amongst 448 children attending 22 childcare centres in New South Wales, Australia, was conducted. Child dietary intake was measured via weighed lunchbox measurements, photographs and researcher observation, and centre healthy eating practices were assessed via researcher observation of centre nutrition environments. Children attending lunchbox centres consumed, on average 0.80 servings (standard deviation 0.69) of fruit and 0.27 servings (standard deviation 0.51) of vegetables in care. The availability of foods within children’s lunchboxes was associated with intake of such foods (p < 0.01). Centre provision of intentional healthy eating learning experiences (estimate −0.56; p = 0.01) and the use of feeding practices that support children’s healthy eating (estimate −2.02; p = 0.04) were significantly associated with reduced child intake of saturated fat. Interventions to improve child nutrition in centres should focus on a range of healthy eating practices, including the availability of foods packed within lunchboxes.     

Caregiver Perceptions of Child Diet Quality: What Influenced Their Judgment

This study aimed at assessing the correctness of a caregiver’s perception of their child’s diet status and to determine the factors which may influence their judgment. 815 child-caregiver pairs were recruited from two primary schools. 3-day 24-h recall was used to evaluate children’s dietary intake, Chinese Children Dietary Index (CCDI) was used to evaluate the dietary quality. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to explore the factors that could influence the correctness of caregiver’s perception. In the current study, 371 (62.1%) children with “high diet quality” and 35 (16.1%) children with “poor diet quality” were correctly perceived by their caregivers. Children who were correctly perceived as having “poor diet quality” consumed less fruits and more snacks and beverages than those who were not correctly perceived (p < 0.05). Obese children were more likely to be correctly identified as having “poor diet quality” (OR = 3.532, p = 0.040), and less likely to be perceived as having “high diet quality”, even when they had a balanced diet (OR = 0.318, p = 0.020). Caregivers with a high level of education were more likely to correctly perceive children’s diet quality (OR = 3.532, p = 0.042). Caregivers in this study were shown to lack the ability to correctly identify their children’s diet quality, especially amongst children with a “poor diet quality”. Obesity, significantly low consumption of fruits or high consumption of snacks can raise caregivers’ awareness of “poor diet quality”.     

The Association of Sleep Duration with Breakfast Patterns and Snack Behaviors among Chinese Children Aged 6 to 17 Years: Chinese National Nutrition and Health Surveillance 2010–2012

A significant increase in the prevalence of short sleep among children has been observed. Short sleep may be associated with unhealthy breakfast and snacking behaviors. The purpose of the current study was to explore the associations of short sleep with breakfast and snacking behaviors among children. Data were obtained from the 2010–2012 China National Nutrition and Health Surveillance (CNNHS). A total of 5254 children aged 6 to 17 years were included. Sleep duration was classified into three categories: moderate sleep, slightly short sleep, and severely short sleep. Breakfast behaviors included skipping breakfast, food diversity, intake of energy and macronutrients, and their proportion of daily total intake. Snack behaviors included snack consumption rate/frequency, types, intake of energy and macronutrients, and proportion of daily total intake. Multiple linear regression and multivariate logistic regression were used for analysis, with models adjusted for the potential effects of gender, age, region, and family income level. The bootstrapping method was used to calculate the 95% confidence intervals of the model statistics. Results showed that slightly short sleep (OR = 1.15, 95%CI: 1.00, 1.33)) and severely short sleep (OR = 1.36, 95%CI: 1.04, 1.77) was related to higher rates of skipping breakfast compared to moderate sleep. Severely short sleep was associated with higher energy (β = 28.44, 95%CI: 31.97, 44.70), carbohydrate (β = 6.62, 95%CI: 8.29, 8.84) and protein (β = 1.17, 95%CI: 1.44, 1.70) intake at breakfast and breakfast accounted for a higher proportion of total daily energy (β = 1.39, 95%CI: 1.48, 2.52), protein (β = 2.26, 95%CI: 3.16, 5.84) and carbohydrate (β = 0.83, 95%CI: 0.07, 3.41). Severely short sleep was associated with higher energy (β = 27.4, 95%CI: 18.64, 69.41), protein (β = 0.8, 95%CI: 0.48, 2.40), and fat (β = 1.40, 95%CI: 1.21, 3.16) intake at snacks and snacks accounted for a higher proportion of total daily protein intake (β = 1.23, 95%CI: 0.71, 3.58) and fat intake (β = 2.74, 95%CI: 3.13, 6.09). Slightly short sleep was associated with higher energy (β = 7.28, 95%CI: 0.15, 28.13) and carbohydrate (β = 1.67, 95%CI: 0.86, 5.73) intake at snacks and snacks accounted for a higher proportion of total daily carbohydrate intake. Children with severely short sleep were more likely to choose sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) as snacks (16.5%) and intake them more frequently, at a daily consumption of 204.7 g and 26.7 g per night. Overall, short sleep was associated with unhealthy breakfast patterns and snack behaviors among children. Children with short sleep had higher intake of energy and macronutrients at breakfast and snacks compared with those with moderate sleep. Promoting adequate sleep among children may have a positive effect on developing healthy eating behaviors.     

The Contribution of Snacking to Overall Diet Intake among an Ethnically and Racially Diverse Population of Boys and Girls

BackgroundChildren in low-income and minority populations are at risk for poor dietary quality. At least one-third of the calories consumed by children are eaten between meals (ie, snacks). The contribution of snacking to diet quality among children is poorly understood.ObjectiveThe current study examined associations between snacking and children’s diet quality along with differences across ethnicity or race, sex, and weight status.DesignCross-sectional data came from Phase I of the Family Matters Study, an observational study.Participants/settingThis study included 150 families with children aged 5 to 7 years old from six ethnic or racial groups (n=25 from each: African American, Hispanic, Hmong, Native American, Somali, non-Hispanic white); data were collected in Minneapolis–Saint Paul, MN in 2017-2018.Main outcome measuresTotal daily energy (kilocalories), overall diet quality using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2010), and food group intakes (eg, fruit, vegetables, refined grains, sugar-sweetened beverages [SSB]) were assessed using three 24-hour dietary recalls.Statistical analyses performedConditional fixed effects estimators (within-child variation) were used in regression analyses to characterize the relationship between daily snacking and dietary intake relative to dietary intake at all other daily meal occasions. Mean (±standard deviation) overall dietary intake including all meals and snacks was compared with mean (±standard deviation) intake of meals only.ResultsAmong boys, snacking was found to contribute positively to HEI-2010 scores (HEI-2010=57.6, HEI-2010 without snacks=55.0; effect size [ES]=0.28, P=0.03). Snacking was an important source of fruit (ES=0.71) and dairy (ES=0.53), but also contributed to children’s consumption of refined grains (ES=0.68) and SSB (ES=0.31). Very few vegetables were consumed as snacks. Furthermore, snacks contributed more to the overall diet quality (HEI-2010) of Native American (ES=0.30) and Somali (ES=0.35) youth as compared with youth from other ethnic or racial backgrounds.ConclusionsFindings suggest that snacks have the potential to improve diet quality in children. Future research should examine influences on children’s food choices at snack times and barriers to serving more healthful foods as snacks that are faced by ethnically or racially diverse families.     

Picky Eating Is Associated with Lower Nutrient Intakes from Children’s Home-Packed School Lunches

The objective was to assess the relationship between children’s picky eating (PE) status and nutrient intake from home-packed school lunches. The lunches of 321 students, aged 7–10 years, were quantified via cross-sectional direct observation. Children were classified as having PE (n = 155) or not (non-PE; n = 166) based on food neophobia scores and parental perceptions of PE. The PE group consumed significantly less protein, folate, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, D, and E than the non-PE group; however, both groups consumed amounts exceeding Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for protein, carbohydrates, sugar, sodium, iron, and vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, and C. Conversely, both groups consumed amounts significantly lower than DRIs for calcium, fibre, folate, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and vitamins A, D, E, and K. The PE group ate significantly less meat and alternatives, vegetables and fruit, and fruit than the non-PE group, and did not meet any of Canada’s Food Guide (2007) recommendations. The non-PE group met recommendations for meat and alternatives only. PE impacts the dietary intake of children’s home-packed lunches; however, many packed lunches were of low nutritional quality. Focus should be placed on provision of nutritionally complete school lunches for all children.     

Quality of Nutrition Environments,Menus and Foods Served,and Food Program Achievement in Oklahoma Family Child Care Homes

Child care environments foster children’s healthy eating habits by providing exposure to healthy foods and feeding practices. We assessed the healthfulness of nutrition environments, menu/meal quality, and the achievement of Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) guidelines and best practices in Oklahoma CACFP-enrolled family child care homes (FCCHs) (n = 51). Two-day classroom observations were conducted. Healthfulness of classroom nutrition environments was assessed using the Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation (EPAO). Foods served to and consumed by children were quantified using the Dietary Observations in Child Care (DOCC) tool. Nutrient analysis was performed to determine total energy for foods listed on menus, served to, and consumed by children. Menu and meal food variety and CACFP Guideline Achievement Scores were determined. Average nutrition environment score was 11.7 ± 1.2 (61.5% of maximum possible score). Energy (kcals) from menus and consumed by children was insufficient to meet two-thirds of their daily reference intake. Children were exposed to 1.7 vegetables and 1.3 fruits per meal. CACFP Guideline Achievement Scores were 66.3% ± 7.8 for menus and 59.3% ± 7.6 for mealtimes. Similar to previous research, our findings indicate a need for improved FCCH nutrition practices. Tailored interventions for FCCHs are needed.     

Parental Traits Associated with Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Children and Adolescents in Croatia: A Cross-Sectional Study

The Mediterranean diet (MD) is known to be one of the healthiest dietary patterns. Despite the significance of a healthful diet during the early stage of life, data for young individuals indicate that nutrition problems are common. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine parental factors associated with MD adherence in children and adolescents living in the Mediterranean region in Croatia. In total, 2623 children aged 2 to 18 years and their parents participated in this study. Data were collected during the period from September 2021 to February 2022 by using an anonymous questionnaire. We used KIDMED and MEDAS questionnaires for assessing MD adherence in young individuals and their parents, respectively. To assess the association of children’s MD adherence categories with the parental predictors, we performed multivariate multinomial logistic regression. Results showed that the children of parents with a low MD adherence are much more likely to have poor MD adherence than good (OR = 47.54 (95% C.I 18.24, 123.87), p < 0.001) or average (OR = 5.64 (95% C.I 3.70, 8.6), p < 0.001) MD adherence. Further, children of fathers with higher BMI (OR = 1.035 (95% C.I 1.0, 1.071)) and those who do not live with both parents (OR = 1.703 (95% C.I 0.994, 2.916), p = 0.053) are more likely to have poor MD adherence than good MD adherence. These results indicate that interventions focusing on enhancing the quality of both parents’ diets could effectively improve their children’s eating habits.     

Social Modeling and Eating Behavior—A Narrative Review

Social modeling of eating is the adjustment of the amount of food eaten to the intake of the accompanying person. In this paper we provide a narrative review of literature on social modeling of eating with a particular focus on recent studies. Firstly, we describe the structure of a typical modeling experiment. Secondly, we present a variety of research in this field: experiments with various types of confederates, experiments aimed at the evaluation of the influence of gender, partner’s body weight, type of food, hunger, personal characteristics, etc. Thirdly, we present practical implications of this knowledge. The common conclusion is that social modeling of eating occurs in different situations and consumption is adapted to the standards established by the eating partner, but is not their direct reflection. Social influence of eating is not restricted to "artificial" laboratory situations; social modeling and social norms manipulations may be used to change people’s dietary practices, especially in children and young adults. Within the home environment parental modeling has been shown to promote children’s snacking and fruit and vegetable consumption. Social modeling may be used in nutrition interventions aimed at the improvement of children’s diet and in obesity prevention programs.     

Association between family variables and Mexican American children's dietary behaviors

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between family variables and children's diets. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study with households sampled using random-digit dialing. Children completed a one-time, self-administered survey, and mothers participated in a face-to-face structured interview. SETTING: Data collection occurred in southern San Diego County on the U.S.-Mexico border. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred sixty-seven Mexican American children between 8 and 18 years of age and their mothers. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Diet: number of snacks, candies and sweets, and sodas consumed daily; dietary fat and fiber; and money spent weekly on fast food and snacks. Family variables: household size, family support for healthful eating, number of meals eaten together, availability of fast food in the home, food ads seen on television, and parent purchasing food products that children saw advertised on television. DATA ANALYSES: Regression analyses were used to examine the independent contributions of family variables on dietary intake. Statistical significance was set at P < .05. RESULTS: Greater family support for healthful eating was associated with fewer snacks and more fiber consumed. Children of parents who purchased food products that their children had seen advertised on television reported consuming more snacks and more fat, and they spent more money on fast food and snacks. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Family-based interventions are needed to moderate the potential influence of television-advertised food products on children's requests for these food products.     

Fruit and Vegetable Snack Consumption Among Children With a Body Mass Index at or Above the 75th Percentile

ObjectiveTo describe fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption as snacks and the association with diet quality and compare the snacking environment and child and parent characteristics between children who consumed FV as snacks and those who did not.MethodsThis secondary analysis study used baseline data from a healthy weight management study with 8- to 12-year-old children with a body mass index ≥75th percentile. Data collection included 24-hour dietary recalls, measured height/weight, and child and parent surveys.ResultsChildren (n = 119) consumed 0.1 cup equivalent per 1,000 kcal of FV as snacks, the equivalent of 16.9% of their daily FV consumption. More FV consumption as snacks occurred at home when a parent was present and was associated with higher parent support for FV consumption as snacks (P = 0.03).Conclusions and ImplicationsRenewed attention to strategies to promote FV consumption as snacks, especially at away-from-home locations, is merited.     

Unfavorable Behaviors in Children Run in Packs! Dietary and Non-Dietary Modulators of Attentional Capacity

Children’s cognitive performance can be influenced by behaviors such as eating breakfast in the morning. The aim of this analysis was to investigate the mediating effects of breakfast behavior and other lifestyle habits on eye-hand coordination and attention. In a secondary analysis of the CogniDROP study, children from the 5th and 6th grade of a comprehensive school in Germany (n  =  223) performed a simple computerized Visual Attention Task and answered a questionnaire about behavioral patterns, i.e., skipping breakfast on a school day, frequency of physical activity (PA) outside school, and nighttime sleep. An association matrix was constructed to show the relationship between the variables. Almost 11% of children left home in the morning without breakfast, more than 9.5% of children reported poor sleep quality, 24.9% slept less than the recommended 9 h, and girls were insufficiently physically active. Sleep duration, bedtime, and PA correlated with skipping breakfast. Better sleep quality was positively related to reaction time in the Visual Attention Task. Overall, the data suggest that unfavorable behaviors in children tend to run in packs, just as skipping breakfast in the morning seems to be associated with other unfavorable habits, which impairs children’s eye-hand coordination and attention.     

Tween sex differences in snacking preferences during television viewing

Television viewing is associated with an increased risk in childhood obesity. Research surrounding food habits of tweens largely bypasses snacking preferences while watching television in the home. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to describe snacking prevalence by tween sex and to describe parental rules surrounding snacking while watching television at home. Survey data were obtained in 2008 from 4th- through 6th-grade students (n=1,557) who attended 12 New England schools. Complete self-reported measures (n=1,448) included demographics, household and bedroom television ownership, television watching frequency, snacking prevalence, snacking preferences, and parental rules regarding snacking while watching television. Comparisons were generated using χ² analyses. Overall, the majority of children (69.2%) snacked “sometimes” or “always” during television viewing, with the majority of responses (62.9%) categorized as foods. The most popular food snacks for both sexes in this sample were salty snacks (47.9%), with fruits and vegetables ranking a distant second (18.4%). Girls (22.6%) selected fruits and vegetables more frequently than boys (14.7%) (P=0.003). Of those drinking beverages (n=514), boys selected sugar-sweetened beverages more often than girls (43.5% vs 31.7%; P=0.006), and girls chose juice more often than boys (12.3% vs 6.1%; P=0.02). Overall, approximately half (53.2%) of the students consumed less-healthy snacks while watching television. Interventions for parents and both sexes of tweens focusing on healthy snacking choices may have long-term beneficial outcomes.     

A Comparison of the Effects of Young-Child Formulas and Cow’s Milk on Nutrient Intakes in Polish Children Aged 13–24 Months

Adequately balanced daily food rations that provide the body with sufficient amounts of energy and nutrients, including minerals, are particularly important in early childhood when rapid physical, intellectual and motor development takes place. Cow’s milk (CM) and young-child formulas (YCFs) are introduced to a child’s diet past the first year of age. The main aim of the present study was to perform a qualitative and a quantitative analysis of daily food rations of young children based on the recommendations of the daily food ration model. An attempt was also made to determine whether the type of consumed milk (YCF or CM) adequately meets young children’s energy demands and contributes to the incorporation of different food groups into a balanced and healthy diet for children aged 13–24 months. A total of 714 parents between October 2019 and March 2020 filled out a food frequency questionnaire. In the second stage of the study, the parents participated in a dietary recall and were asked to keep diaries of all meals and foods consumed by children over a period of three days. The mean daily intake of CM/YCF and fermented milks was determined at 360 mL ± 128 mL, and it accounted for 55.4% of the guideline values. Flavored dairy products were consumed more frequently than fermented milks without added sugar or flavoring (94 ± 17 g vs. 56 ± 26 g, p < 0.05). Diets incorporating CM were significantly more abundant in protein than YCF diets (29.3 g vs. 21.9 g; p < 0.01). Liquid intake was somewhat higher in children fed YCFs (1280.8 mL vs. 1120.1; p < 0.05), mainly due to the higher consumption of fruit juice, nectars and sweetened hot beverages (246 ± 35 mL in the YCF group vs. 201 ± 56 mL in the CM group; p < 0.05). Children fed YCF consumed significantly larger amounts of sweetened beverages such as tea sweetened with sugar or honey, sweetened hot chocolate or instant teas (OR = 2.54; Cl: 1.32–3.26; p < 0.001), than children receiving CM. This group was also characterized by higher consumption of sweetened dairy products, mainly cream cheese desserts, fruit yogurt and yogurt with cereal (OR = 1.87; Cl: 1.36–2.54; p < 0.01), as well as a lower daily intake of plain fermented milks (OR = 0.56; Cl: 0.21–0.79; p < 0.001). The daily food intake and the quality of the diets administered to children aged 13–24 months were evaluated and compared with the model food ration. It was found that milk type influenced children’s eating habits and preference for sweet-tasting foods. The study also demonstrated that Polish parents and caregivers only have limited knowledge of nutritional guidelines for toddlers.     

Association Between Nocturnal Breastfeeding and Snacking Habits and the Risk of Early Childhood Caries in 18- to 23-Month-Old Japanese Children

Background

Early childhood caries (ECC) is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases among children. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between nocturnal breastfeeding, snacking habits, or other risk factors and ECC in 18- to 23-month-old Japanese children.

Methods

Study subjects were 1675 children aged 18 to 23 months. A self-administered questionnaire was completed by parents or guardians of the children. The survey contents included such things as number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth per child, smokers in the home, nocturnal breastfeeding habit, snack times, kinds of snacks consumed ≥4 days a week, kinds of drinks consumed ≥4 days a week, parents brushing their child’s teeth daily, and the use of fluoride toothpaste. Logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the odds of ECC.

Results

The average number of decayed, missing and filled teeth was 0.10. The prevalence of dental caries was 3.3%. Nocturnal breastfeeding habits were reported in 357 subjects (21.3%). After excluding items of multicollinearity, significant associations were observed between ECC and nocturnal breastfeeding, drinking or eating sweets after dinner every day, and the intake of candy, soda and/or isotonic drinks ≥4 days a week.

Conclusions

This study suggests that nocturnal breastfeeding and snacking habits are correlated with ECC.Key words: breastfeeding, environmental tobacco smoke, early childhood caries, snacking habits     

Life stress,dietary attitudes,and frequency of snack intake for college students in Seoul and Gyeonggi area: the difference between male and female students

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVESThis study examines life stress, dietary attitudes, and snacking frequency for college students living in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. The purpose of this study is to assist college students feeling stressed by offering desirable dietary attitudes and choices of the appropriate snacks by providing educational materials that offer appropriate nutrition education and nutritional information.SUBJECTS/METHODSA survey was conducted on a total of 600 college students aged 19–29-year-olds living in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province (234 male students and 366 female students). Collected data were analyzed using SPSS WIN 28.0 program.RESULTSLife stress among college students did not differ significantly between the genders. Male students were more stressed about lover (P < 0.01), while female students were more stressed about value problems (P < 0.01) and future problems (P < 0.05). Dietary attitude ratings were 3.1 for both male and female students with no significant difference. The overall snacking frequency was 4.1 times/day—4.2 times/day for male students and 4.0 times/day for female students—thus, there was no significant difference. Male students consumed ‘beverage’ (P < 0.01) more frequently than female students. Life stress and snacking were positively correlated for ‘biscuit/cookie,’ ‘chip,’ ‘cereal,’ ‘juice/smoothie,’ ‘café americano,’ ‘café latte,’ ‘tea,’ ‘jelly,’ ‘chocolate,’ ‘rice cake,’ ‘milk,’ ‘flavored milk,’ and ‘ice cream’ among male students. Among female students, life stress and snacking were positively correlated with ‘cereal,’ ‘caramel,’ and ‘soymilk,’ and negatively correlated for ‘biscuit/cookie’ and ‘carbonated drink.’CONCLUSIONSCollege students should manage their stress by identifying its causes and learning how to deal with stressful situations. Additionally, providing them with proper nutrition education based on the correct nutritional information is essential for promoting good food attitudes and snacking behaviors.