Parental education and frequency of food consumption in European children: the IDEFICS study

Abstract

Objective: To assess the relationship between parental education level and the consumption frequency of obesity-related foods in European children. Design: The analysis was based on data from the cross-sectional baseline survey of a prospective cohort study. The effects of parental education on food consumption were explored using analysis of covariance and logistic regression. Setting: Primary schools and pre-schools of selected regions in Italy, Estonia, Cyprus, Belgium, Sweden, Hungary, Germany and Spain. Subjects: Participants (n 14 426) of the IDEFICS baseline cohort study aged 2 to 9 years. Results: Parental education level affected the intake of obesity-related foods in children. Children in the low and medium parental education level groups had lower odds of more frequently eating low-sugar and low-fat foods (vegetables, fruits, pasta/noodles/rice and wholemeal bread) and higher odds of more frequently eating high-sugar and high-fat foods (fried potatoes, fruits with sugar and nuts, snacks/desserts and sugared beverages; P , 0?001). The largest odds ratio differences were found in the low category (reference category: high) for vegetables (OR 5 0?56; 95 % CI 0?47, 0?65), fruits (OR 5 0?56; 95 % CI 0?48, 0?65), fruits with sugar and nuts (OR 5 2?23; 95 % CI 1?92, 2?59) and sugared beverages (OR 5 2?01; 95 % CI 1?77, 2?37). Conclusions: Low parental education level was associated with intakes of sugar-rich and fatty foods among children, while high parental education level was associated with intakes of low-sugar and low-fat foods. These findings should be taken into account in public health interventions, with more targeted policies aiming at an improvement of children's diet.

Processed and ultra-processed food consumption among children aged 13 to 35 months and associated factors

“…Similar results have been found in studies assessing foods that are part of the processed and ultra-processed food products group in Brazil 40 and other countries 41,42 . Some authors suggest that low maternal education is associated with low purchasing power and lack of access to health information, which could possibly lead to unhealthy food choices for children 43,44,45 .…”

Differences in nutritional status of preschool children in the context of the maternal social characteristics

“…Moreover, single expectant mothers living on their own consumed more refined sugar as compared to the reference group [36]. The daughters of single mothers also had higher BMI, consumed more sweetened drinks and Fernández-Alvira et al [22] assessed the relationship between the parents' level of education and the frequency of their children eating products crucial for the development of obesity. The researchers observed a lower consumption of low-sugar and low-fat products (vegetables, fruit, pasta, rice, whole meal bread) and higher consumption of "risky" products (sweetened or salted snacks) in the case of children of parents with lower and medium education (as opposed to the children of parents with higher education).…”

Diet quality in European pre-schoolers: evaluation based on diet quality indices and association with gender, socio-economic status and overweight, the ToyBox-study

“…However, several studies have investigated the relationship between specific food and nutrient intakes and SES in children (15) . These studies showed that children of lower-SES backgrounds consumed more fat, sweets and soft drinks, and less fruit and vegetables, than children of high-SES backgrounds (15)(16)(17) . A difference in diet quality by SES could be expected, with high-SES pre-schoolers having better scores than their lower-SES peers.…”