OBJECTIVES: Dietary pattern is defined as a combination of foods and drinks and the frequency of consumption within a population. Dietary patterns are changing on a global level, which may be linked to an increased incidence of chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to identify and compare the dietary patterns among 9-11-year-old children living in urban regions in different parts of the world. METHODS: Participants were 7199 children (54% girls), aged 9-11 years, from 12 countries situated in all major world regions. Food consumption was assessed using a 23-item Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). To identify dietary patterns, principal components analyses (PCA) were carried out using weekly portions as input variables. RESULTS: Both site-specific and pooled PCA resulted in two strong components. Component 1 ('unhealthy diet pattern') included fast foods, ice cream, fried food, French fries, potato chips, cakes and sugar-sweetened sodas with 40.6 loadings. The loadings for component 2 ('healthy diet pattern') were slightly weaker with only dark-green vegetables, orange vegetables, vegetables in general, and fruits and berries reaching a 40.6 loading. The site-specific diet pattern scores had very strong correlations with the pattern scores from the pooled data: r = 0.82 and 0.94 for components 1 and 2, respectively. CONCULSIONS: The results suggest that the same 'healthier' and 'unhealthier' foods tend to be consumed in similar combinations among 9-11-year-old children in different countries, despite variation in food culture, geographical location, ethnic background and economic development.

OBJECTIVE:The main aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of a food frequency questionnaire with 23 food groups (I-FFQ) among a sample of 9-11-year-old children from three different countries that differ on economical development and income distribution, and to assess differences between country sites. Furthermore, we assessed factors associated with I-FFQ's performance. METHODS: This was an ancillary study of the International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment. Reliability (n = 321) and validity (n = 282) components of this study had the same participants. Participation rates were 95% and 70%, respectively. Participants completed two I-FFQs with a mean interval of 4.9 weeks to assess reliability. A 3-day pre-coded food diary (PFD) was used as the reference method in the validity analyses. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, intraclass correlation coefficients and cross-classifications were used to assess the reliability of I-FFQ. Spearman correlation coefficients, percentage difference and crossclassifications were used to assess the validity of I-FFQ. A logistic regression model was used to assess the relation of selected variables with the estimate of validity. Analyses based on information in the PFDs were performed to assess how participants interpreted food groups. RESULTS: Reliability correlation coefficients ranged from 0.37 to 0.78 and gross misclassification for all food groups was o5%. Validity correlation coefficients were below 0.5 for 22/23 food groups, and they differed among country sites. For validity, gross misclassification was o 5% for 22/23 food groups. Over-or underestimation did not appear for 19/23 food groups. Logistic regression showed that country of participation and parental education were associated (P ⩽ 0.05) with the validity of I-FFQ.

Previous studies have linked short sleep duration, poor sleep quality, and late sleep timing with lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children. However, almost all studies relied solely on selfreported sleep information and most were conducted in high income countries. To address these gaps, we studied both device-measured and self-reported sleep characteristics in relation to HRQoL in a sample of children from 12 countries that vary widely in terms of economic and human development. MethodsThe study sample included 6,626 children aged 9-11 years from Australia,

The burden of allergy diets in day care settings could be decreased by simple pragmatic changes based on current allergy guidelines. Old allergy attitudes persisted among day care personnel, indicating the need for continuous education.