An-Sofie Pinket1, Marieke De Craemer2, Inge Huybrechts3, Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij2, Benedicte Deforche1, Greet Cardon2, Odysseas Androutsos4, Berthold Koletzko5, Luis Moreno6, Piotr Socha7, Violeta Iotova8, Yannis Manios4, Wendy Van Lippevelde1. 1. 1Department of Public Health,Ghent University,Unit Health Promotion, De Pintelaan 185 - 4K3 lokaal 036, 9000 Gent,Belgium. 2. 2Department of Movement and Sport Sciences,Ghent University,Ghent,Belgium. 3. 3Dietary Exposure Assessment Group (DEX),International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO),Lyon,France. 4. 5Department of Nutrition and Dietetics,School of Health Science and Education,Harokopio University,Athens,Greece. 5. 6Dr von Hauner Children's Hospital,Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich,Munich,Germany. 6. 7GENUD (Growth, Exercise, NUtrition and Development) Research Group,University of Zaragoza,Zaragoza,Spain. 7. 8The Children's Memorial Health Institute,Warsaw,Poland. 8. 9Department of Pediatrics and Medical Genetics,Medical University of Varna,Varna,Bulgaria.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To study diet quality among pre-schoolers using the Diet Quality Index (DQI) and to investigate differences according to gender, socio-economic status (SES) and overweight/obesity status. DESIGN: Kindergarten-based cross-sectional survey within the ToyBox-study. A standardized protocol was used and parents/caregivers self-reported sociodemographic data and a semi-quantitative FFQ. A total DQI and its four subcomponents (diversity, quality, equilibrium and meal index) were calculated based on this FFQ. High total DQI scores indicate better diet quality than low scores. Results of the total DQI and the subcomponents were reported as percentages of maximum scores (100 %). SETTING: Kindergartens in six European countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Poland and Spain). SUBJECTS: European pre-schoolers (aged 3·5-5·5 years) and their parents/caregivers (n 7063). RESULTS: The mean total DQI score was 68·3 %. Mean scores of the subcomponents were 61·7 % for diversity, 56·5 % for quality, 65·4 % for equilibrium and 89·7 % for the meal index. Pre-schoolers of lower-SES backgrounds had lower scores on the total DQI and all its subcomponents. No clear differences were found by gender and overweight status. Results differed slightly according to country. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-schoolers scored low on the total DQI and especially on dietary quality, as energy-dense, low-nutritious food items were more often consumed than highly nutritious food items. Furthermore, already in pre-schoolers lower-SES mothers were less likely to provide a good diet quality and this was consistent for all four subcomponents of the total DQI. Food intake in pre-schoolers should be enhanced, especially in pre-schoolers of lower-SES backgrounds.
OBJECTIVE: To study diet quality among pre-schoolers using the Diet Quality Index (DQI) and to investigate differences according to gender, socio-economic status (SES) and overweight/obesity status. DESIGN: Kindergarten-based cross-sectional survey within the ToyBox-study. A standardized protocol was used and parents/caregivers self-reported sociodemographic data and a semi-quantitative FFQ. A total DQI and its four subcomponents (diversity, quality, equilibrium and meal index) were calculated based on this FFQ. High total DQI scores indicate better diet quality than low scores. Results of the total DQI and the subcomponents were reported as percentages of maximum scores (100 %). SETTING: Kindergartens in six European countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Poland and Spain). SUBJECTS: European pre-schoolers (aged 3·5-5·5 years) and their parents/caregivers (n 7063). RESULTS: The mean total DQI score was 68·3 %. Mean scores of the subcomponents were 61·7 % for diversity, 56·5 % for quality, 65·4 % for equilibrium and 89·7 % for the meal index. Pre-schoolers of lower-SES backgrounds had lower scores on the total DQI and all its subcomponents. No clear differences were found by gender and overweight status. Results differed slightly according to country. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-schoolers scored low on the total DQI and especially on dietary quality, as energy-dense, low-nutritious food items were more often consumed than highly nutritious food items. Furthermore, already in pre-schoolers lower-SES mothers were less likely to provide a good diet quality and this was consistent for all four subcomponents of the total DQI. Food intake in pre-schoolers should be enhanced, especially in pre-schoolers of lower-SES backgrounds.
Authors: Vanessa Er; Kaiseree Ioni Dias; Angeliki Papadaki; James White; Sian Wells; Dianne Stanton Ward; Chris Metcalfe; Russell Jago; Ruth Kipping Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2018-11-14 Impact factor: 3.295