The rising prevalence of overweight and (severe) obesity among young children remains a major societal problem. Overweight and obesity are more common in children of non-Dutch descent and with a lower socioeconomic status (SEP). A healthy diet contributes to healthy weight development in childhood and a healthy weight in adulthood. However, little is known about ethnic and socioeconomic differences in children's diets and how these diets influence body weight and body composition later in life. Therefore, Viyan Rashid investigated:
1. Which dietary patterns can be defined in 5-year-old children using different dietary pattern definition methods?
2. Are certain dietary patterns more common in children of a certain ethnic or socioeconomic background?
3. To what extent are the defined dietary patterns associated with BMI and body composition later in life?
Five-year-old children in our cohort consume dietary patterns that can be labeled as healthy, unhealthy, traditional, and a pattern in which the intake of whole and low-fat food groups was relevant. Nutritional intake is suboptimal, and only whole-grain products meet current dietary guidelines.
Children of non-Dutch descent, with less educated mothers and fathers, from families with lower household finances, and from neighborhoods with a lower socioeconomic status (SES) are more likely to consume unhealthy diets. The mother's education level was the strongest socioeconomic predictor of unhealthy diets.
Viyan Rashid observed contradictory and unexpected associations between dietary patterns and BMI and body composition later in life. Surprisingly, a high score for a healthy diet or a diet with a high intake of low-fat and healthy foods led to higher weight gain in most groups, while a high score for a high-fat diet led to lower weight gain.
It is important that public health continues to focus on healthy weight and weight gain, particularly for children of non-Dutch descent and/or a lower socioeconomic status, to prevent overweight and obesity.
The suboptimal nutritional intake in our cohort argues for changes in children's current food environment. We found that all socioeconomic factors, including neighborhood socioeconomic status, influence unhealthy snacking patterns (intake of both savory and sweet snacks). And an unfavorable financial situation can override the influence of the mother's education level. Children with a non-Dutch background and/or lower socioeconomic status are more likely to live in neighborhoods with a lower socioeconomic status, where there is greater access to fast food and advertisements for unhealthy foods.
This study also demonstrates the relevance of further research to explore the association between healthy, high-fat, and low-fat diets and weight gain.
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