Differences in Food Preference and Dietary Restraint between Young Adult Preterms versus Controls May Parallel Future Chronic Disease Risk

Abstract

Individuals born prematurelymay have elevated risk of chronic conditions, such as metabolic and cardiovascular disease (CVD), and altered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functionand the stresshormone, cortisol, responses. Presently, we added diet measures to a longitudinal study of 111 adult preterms (56 females, P-adults) and28 adult born full-term (18 females, F-adults), followed since birth and now at age 23 years, to examine dietary behaviors thatmay contribute to or be reflective of these chronic conditions. Each participant completed surveys to assess foodandnon-foodpreferences, dietary restraint (RevisedRestraint Scale), and food neophobia. Data were analyzed with analysis of covariance unless noted (significance criterion, p .05). P-adults reported least absolute liking for carrots, low-fat sugars, alcoholic beverages, and thrill seekingactivities. By chi square analysis and comparing relative preference ratings, P-adults were most likely toreporthigh-fatandsweet foodsas themostpreferredof foodornon-food category. P-adults only tended to have higher food neophobia, the effect of term status seen primarily in females. The P-adults reported lowest levels of dietary restraint, with greatest difference seen between the female groups for the restraint sub-category, Concern for Dieting. The birth-term groups did not vary significantly in adiposity. In summary, adult preterms reporteddietarybehaviors that can add to their prematurity and neuroendocrine challenges to increase metabolic and CVD risk, including less healthy food preferences and lower cognitive control of eating. Lower preference for alcoholic beverages and thrill seeking behaviors parallel findings of compensatory avoidance of stressful situations.