Abstract
BackgroundThere is little information about the diet, lifestyle and parental characteristics associated with habitual sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption in Asian children. The aim of the present study was to assess cross-sectional associations between habitual SSB consumption and preschoolers’ diet, physical activity, sedentary behaviour as well as parental and child characteristics in Malaysian preschoolers aged 3 to 6 y.MethodsA total of 590 preschoolers, comprising 317 boys and 273 girls were included. Pre-pilot parental questionnaires were used to assess diet, physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour practices and anthropometry was assessed in preschoolers and their parents.ResultsMultiple logistic regression analyses showed that preschoolers with more frequent weekly intake of snacks [OR 2.7; 95% CI, 1.6–4.4; p < 0.001] and monthly fast food consumption [OR 3.5; 95% CI, 1.9–6.3; p < 0.001], were associated with higher SSB intake (≥5 days in a week), after adjustments of potential confounders. Preschoolers with higher daily fruit and vegetable intake had lower SSB intake [OR 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2–0.8; p = 0.011]. A positive association of higher weekly vigorous PA [OR 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1–3.7; p = 0.030] and daily screen-based practices [OR 2.0; 95% CI, 1.2–3.6; p < 0.001] on habitual SSBs intake was also substantiated.ConclusionMultiple diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour factors were significantly associated with SSB intake among Malaysian preschoolers. Continued effort is required to encourage healthier beverage choices, as well as healthy diet and active lifestyle practices among children during the critical early years of growth and development.
Highlights
There is little information about the diet, lifestyle and parental characteristics associated with habitual sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption in Asian children
For the parental socio-demographic and weight status, maternal Body mass index (BMI) levels were higher for girls than boys (p = 0.003), whereas maternal educational status was higher in boys compared to girls (p = 0.027)
A similar pattern of SSB consumption was found for boys and girls
Summary
There is little information about the diet, lifestyle and parental characteristics associated with habitual sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption in Asian children. The aim of the present study was to assess crosssectional associations between habitual SSB consumption and preschoolers’ diet, physical activity, sedentary behaviour as well as parental and child characteristics in Malaysian preschoolers aged 3 to 6 y. A growing body of evidence suggests that high consumption of SSBs is significantly associated with low intakes of micronutrients [14, 15], increased risk of dental caries [16], and risk of excess weight gain, and metabolic disorders in children [10, 17,18,19]. To address the risk of excessive weight gain and other adverse health effects in children it is necessary to identify factors associated with a high intake of SSB among young children. If we can identify the factors that influence the high consumption of SSB early in life, strategies could be developed to prevent the development of unhealthy eating habits and reduce the risk of cardiometabolic disorders later in life
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