Is the number of siblings associated with dietary patterns in adolescents? The 1993 birth cohort of Pelotas (Brazil)

Abstract

Our study aimed to estimate the association between number of siblings and dietary patterns in adolescents. Prospective longitudinal study was developed using data from the birth cohort of the city of Pelotas, Brazil, which included 5249 participants. At the 18-year-old follow-up, from 4563 individuals located, 4106 were interviewed (follow-up rate 81.3%). Of these, 3751 were included in our principal component analysis of dietary patterns. Regular dietary intake of 45 food groups over the previous year was measured with a food frequency questionnaire. We identified four patterns, which accounted for 40% of the total variance in food group consumption. These were labeled “Protein and fast food”, “Fruit and vegetables”, “Common Brazilian”, and “Sweets, soft drinks, and dairy products”. Crude and adjusted analyses of the association between number of siblings and dietary patterns were performed using linear regression. The number of siblings was positively associated with a higher adherence to each dietary pattern, with the exception of the “Common Brazilian” patterns, for which there was no apparent relationship with number of siblings. The findings showed that a greater number of siblings is related to a more diverse diet in the later adolescence, which may predict better nutrient adequacy and health outcomes.

Patterns of Avoiding Nutrition Mistakes in Metropolitan Adolescents Are Associated with Sex, Nutrition Knowledge, Physical Activity, and Family Environment

“…A Spanish study showed that having more than one sibling is associated with a higher nutritional risk [ 28 ]. In the research of Cook et al, cited by [ 29 ], persons having siblings showed lower consumption of all nutrients, with the exception of carbohydrates and added sugar, which was confirmed by our results. One possible explanation is that more siblings means that the family has less to spend on each family member [ 31 ].…”

“…Having siblings was strongly associated with higher adherence (by 97–98%) to the Inconsequent pattern, characterized by less frequent attempts to limit the consumption of sweets, sugar, and salt. The number and profile of siblings may be related to compliance with specific nutritional patterns or health-related markers, both positive and negative [ 29 , 30 ]. A Spanish study showed that having more than one sibling is associated with a higher nutritional risk [ 28 ].…”

Relative validity of a computer-based semi-quantitative FFQ for use in the Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort Studies

“…All the research assistants involved in the protocol received training specific to the study, and all steps were undertaken using standard protocols (e.g., revision of all 24HR, double data entry, use of standardised food composition to estimate nutrients in both dietary methods) to minimise errors. This FFQ was applied to identify dietary patterns in previous cohort follow-ups when participants were 15 and 18 years of age, and the FFQ provided relevant findings on dietary patterns that were associated with body composition (30) , number of siblings (31) and blood lipids (32) .…”

Padrões alimentares de adolescentes brasileiros por regiões geográficas: análise do Estudo de Riscos Cardiovasculares em Adolescentes (ERICA)

“…In the last five years, it has been witnessed a trend in the use of methodologies for assessing food consumption in Brazilian children and adolescents based on the identification of dietary patterns 11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,1,21,22 . However, such studies involve localized samples, denoting a gap in studies with nationally representative probabilistic samples of Brazilian adolescents according to geographic region.…”