Sugar-added beverages consumption among kindergarten children of Crete: effects on nutritional status and risk of obesity

Manolis Linardakis,Katerina Sarri,Anthony Kafatos,Maria-Styliani Pateraki,Manolis Sbokos

doi:10.1186/1471-2458-8-279

Abstract

ObjectiveTo assess the intake of sugar-added beverages such as soft drinks and commercially available fruit juices in kindergarten children, and to examine its association with obesity indices, physical activity levels and dietary habits.MethodsA total of 856 children aged 4–7 years living in Crete, Greece in 2004–5 were included in this cross-sectional study. Nutrient and food intake was assessed with the use of 3-day weighed food records. Body measurements were used in order to assess BMI and waist circumference, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was calculated with the use of a questionnaire.ResultsApproximately 59.8% of all children consumed sugar-added beverages on a daily basis. High intake of sugar-added beverages (> 250 g/day) was associated with low intakes of calcium (p < 0.001), vitamin A and E (p < 0.010), fruits and vegetables (p = 0.007), and milk and yogurt (p = 0.048). Compared to non or low consumers, high consumers of sugar-added beverages (> 250 g/day) had higher BMI levels and two times greater risk of being overweight and/or obese (OR:2.35, p = 0.023).ConclusionHigh intake of sugar-added beverages in kindergarten children is associated with poor eating habits and inadequate nutrient intake, as well as increased risk for developing childhood obesity.

Highlights

Increasing rates of childhood obesity, starting from preschool age, is a worldwide phenomenon [1,2,3]
A few studies are available on Greek children's dietary habits including soft drink consumption, but none of these covered kindergarten children
Boys had significantly higher energy intake than girls (p < 0.05), whereas no other differences were found with regard to BMI, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and intake of sugar-added beverages between the genders

Summary

Introduction

Increasing rates of childhood obesity, starting from preschool age, is a worldwide phenomenon [1,2,3]. Increased intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, such as soft drinks and commercially available fruit juices, amongst a number of other factors such as fast food eating, breakfast skipping, inactivity, and increased TV viewing hours, is thought to contribute to weight gain and risk of obesity in childhood and adolescence [6,7,8,9,10,11,12]. These data are consistent with the findings in the adult population where increased intake of sweetened beverages is (page number not for citation purposes). General trends are indicated by the National Statistical Service of Greece, which reported a striking increase of soft-drink consumption per person per year from 17.2 L in 1972 to 44.6 L in 2005 http://www.statistics.gr, while overall consumption of soft drinks and other sweetened beverages was 60 L per capita in 2005

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion