Abstract
In the first 2 years of life, it is important to limit exposure to foods high in free sugars, in order to lay foundations for lifelong eating patterns associated with a reduced risk of chronic disease. Intake data at this age is limited, so compliance with recommendations is not known. This analysis describes free sugars intakes, food sources and determinants of high consumption among Australian children at 2 years of age. Free sugars intakes were estimated using a customized Food Frequency Questionnaire, and median usual free sugars intake at 2 years was 22.5 (Interquartile Range (IQR) 12.8–37.7) g/day, contributing a median 8% of the estimated energy requirement (EER). Based on the EER, most children (71.1%) exceeded the World Health Organization recommendation that <5% of energy should come from free sugars, with 38% of participants exceeding the <10% recommendation. Children from households with the greatest socioeconomic disadvantage were more likely to exceed the 10% recommendation (Prevalence Ratio (PR) 1.44, 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI) 1.13–1.84), and be in the top tertile for free sugars intake (PR 1.58, 95% CI 1.19–2.10) than the least disadvantaged. Main sources of free sugars were non-core foods, such as fruit juice, biscuits, cakes, desserts and confectionery; with yogurt and non-dairy milk alternatives the two notable exceptions. Improved efforts to reduce free sugars are needed from the introduction of solid food, with a particular focus on fruit juice and non-core foods.
Highlights
The first 2 years of life is a critical time for establishing food preferences and eating behaviors that lay the foundations for long-term dietary habits [1,2]
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines free sugars as “monosaccharides and disaccharides added to foods and beverages by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, and sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates”
Women from hospitals in lower socioeconomic areas were oversampled to account for higher attrition rates, which resulted in a cohort that was generally representative of the socioeconomic profile reported by the Pregnancy Outcome unit for South Australian births in
Summary
The first 2 years of life is a critical time for establishing food preferences and eating behaviors that lay the foundations for long-term dietary habits [1,2]. It is important that during this time children are exposed to a wide variety of nutritious foods, with limited intakes of foods higher in saturated fat, added salt and added sugars [3,4]. The recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) to limit free sugars to less than 10%, and ideally less than 5% of energy intake [5], are relevant during the early years while taste preferences are being established [6,7]. When introducing solids it is important to limit exposure to foods and drinks high in free sugars, in order to establish lifelong healthy eating patterns [4,7]
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