Acta Paediatrica, International Journal of Paediatrics
Volume 105, Issue 4, 2016, Pages 421-426

The intake of selected foods by six-year-old Swedish children differs according to parental education and migration status (Article)

Säfsten E. , Nyberg G. , Elinder L.S. , Norman Å. , Patterson E.*
  • a Centre for Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden, Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden
  • b Centre for Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden, Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden
  • c Centre for Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden, Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden
  • d Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden
  • e Centre for Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden, Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden

Abstract

Aim Little is known about how parental migration status may be associated with children's diets. We examined whether the intake of selected foods by six-year-old children differed according to their parents' migration status, taking education level into account. Methods This study used pooled baseline data from two clustered randomised controlled trials of A Healthy School Start, conducted in municipalities of low-to-medium socio-economic status in Stockholm County, Sweden. The children's intake of selected healthy and unhealthy foods was reported by parents using the Eating and Physical Activity Questionnaire, and the children's height and weight were measured. Parental education and country of birth were self-reported. Results Data were available for 520 children. Low parental education was associated with significantly higher intakes of fruit, higher intakes of several unhealthy foods and lower intakes of vegetables. Children of parents born outside the Nordic region had higher intakes of all unhealthy foods as well as fruit and vegetables, even when adjusted for education. A negative association between high education and overweight was only seen in children of Nordic-born parents. Conclusion Parental migration status was a strong predictor of the intake of selected foods and was a stronger predictor than parental education. ©2015 Foundation Acta Pædiatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Author Keywords

Body weight Socio-economic factors Sweden diet Acculturation

Index Keywords

Parents physical activity educational status fruit juice carbohydrate intake fruit vegetable randomized controlled trial (topic) Swedish citizen human child nutrition statistics and numerical data obesity priority journal diet feeding behavior ice cream Beverages cacao soft drink parental education milk Sweden social status Humans fast food parent male female preschool child questionnaire Article major clinical study migration utilization Transients and Migrants food intake beverage childhood obesity dietary intake Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84954570186&doi=10.1111%2fapa.13297&partnerID=40&md5=7842290e0ff1dfceae7801b519e7d954
DOI: 10.1111/apa.13297
ISSN: 08035253
Cited by: 2
Original Language: English