Abstract
Diet during adolescence can have lasting effects on nutritional status, health, and development. We hypothesized that dietary patterns with low-quality nutrition are associated with overweightness. We collected data for 882 Chilean adolescents from the Growth and Obesity Cohort Study (mean age: 12 years). Dietary intake was assessed through 24-h recalls and weight status data were obtained during clinical visits. Dietary patterns were obtained through exploratory factor analysis. Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine cross-sectional associations between dietary patterns and overweight (BMI z-score ≥ 1 SD). Four dietary patterns were identified: “Breakfast/Light dinner”, “Natural foods”, “Western”, and “Snacking”. “Breakfast/Light dinner”, “Western”, and “Snacking” patterns provided higher energy and excess nutrients (sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar). Moreover, adolescents with higher adherence to “Western” or “ Snacking” patterns (third tertile) had higher odds of being classified as overweight (OR = 1.67; 95% CI: 1.103–2.522 and OR = 1.86; 95% CI: 1.235–2.792, respectively) than those with lower adherence (first tertile). “Natural foods” pattern was also associated with overweightness (OR = 1.83; 95% CI: 1.219–2.754). These dietary patterns were associated with overconsumption of nutrients of public health concern. Three of the four main dietary patterns were associated with overweightness. These results highlight the need of prioritizing adolescents on obesity prevention strategies.
Highlights
Adolescence is a critical stage in life, characterized by an accelerated growth rate and multiple physical and social changes that prepare a person for adulthood [1]
In relation to the maternal socio-demographic and weight status, over half (65.5%) of the participant mothers did not have more than 12 years of study, and 38.3% were classified as obese (Table 1)
The “Western” and “Snacking” patterns showed a positive association with overweightness; the “Natural foods” pattern was associated with overweightness; these adolescents may have been consuming these foods in an attempt to combat their health problems
Summary
Adolescence is a critical stage in life, characterized by an accelerated growth rate and multiple physical and social changes that prepare a person for adulthood [1]. Diet quality during this period is important as it can affect adolescents’ nutritional status and can have long-lasting effects on their future feeding behavior, nutritional status, early life health, and the development of their offspring [2,3,4]. Information on adolescents feeding habits are usually extrapolated from adult data findings, highlighting the need for further evidence [5].
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