Abstract
Objective. To study life styles and dietary behaviors among Saudi preschool children (1–5 years) attending primary health care centers (PHCCs) in Dammam and Qatif areas, eastern province, Saudi Arabia. Material and Methods. Cross-sectional study. Data were collected using structured, interviewer-filled questionnaire. Children and their mothers were encountered during their well-baby clinic visits. A total number of 300 preschool children and their mothers were interviewed during study period. Results. Unsatisfactory areas include smoking fathers (32%), smoking in front of children (11.3%), overweight and obesity among mothers (60.3%), noncompliance using seat belts for both parents (56.3%) and children (68%), children watching television (T.V) more than 2 hours (50%), adherence to exclusive breast feeding (only 20.7%), and late solid food introduction (65.3%). Frequent intake of unhealthy food items was 26%, 25%, and 24% for pizza, burger, and soft drinks. Unfortunately frequent intake of the following unhealthy food items was high: biscuits, deserts/chocolates, and chips which was 78%, 67%, and 72%, respectively. Conclusion. This study provides benchmark about the current situation. It provides health care workers and decision makers with important information that may help to improve health services.
Highlights
Recent research has begun to focus on effects of family and social influences on children’s lifestyle and eating patterns [1]
Low parental educational level, low total family income, long hours of TV watching, absence of breastfeeding, and physical inactivity were significantly associated with childhood overweight/obesity [1]
Systemic random sampling technique was used by choosing every second primary health care centers (PHCCs) from lists of PHCCs provided by ministry of health in both Dammam and Qatif areas
Summary
Recent research has begun to focus on effects of family and social influences on children’s lifestyle and eating patterns [1]. Social environment, including various socioeconomic and sociocultural factors, influence the types of foods that children eat [1]. Low parental educational level, low total family income, long hours of TV watching, absence of breastfeeding, and physical inactivity were significantly associated with childhood overweight/obesity [1]. Overeating-type eating style and sedentary activities are observed frequently in the children from obese/overweight families [5]. This is associated with the fact that these children had a higher preference for fatty foods with a lower liking for vegetables [5]. Long hours of maternal employment, rather than lack of money, may impede children’s access to healthy foods and physical
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