The relationship between junk food consumption, healthy nutrition, and obesity among children aged 7 to 8 years in Mersin, Turkey

Abstract

Increasing junk food (JF) consumption (JFC) among school-aged children is a public health issue that may affect the quality of their diet. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors associated with high-energy intake from JFC in children aged 7 to 8 years with different socioeconomic backgrounds and examine the relationship among JFC, healthy food consumption, and obesity. The hypothesis of the study is that JFC index is related to consumption of staple foods and body mass index. This cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2018 and April 2019 with the participation of 524 children and their parents with low or high socioeconomic status. The data collected with “Healthy Food and JFC Frequency Parents” “Views Form” and “24-Hour Dietary Recall Child Form” were analyzed using multiple analysis methods with P ≤ .05 significance level. Among the children, 53.1% were female, 14.1% were children with obesity, and 18.5% consumed at least one of the JF groups daily. A difference was observed between the calorie intake from JF in children with obesity (292.90 kcal/d) and children without obesity (395.76 kcal/d). The consumption of salty food is associated with low-income levels and consumption of fast food is associated with high-income levels. According to the variables of usually having snacks at home, not receiving pocket money every day, and consuming dairy products at the recommended level, usually having JF at home (odds ratio [OR] = 3.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.40-10.86), receiving pocket money (OR = 2.96; 95% CI, 1.97-4.48), and consuming dairy products at a the recommended level (OR = 1.60; 95% CI, 1.03-2.49) were found to be better predictors of high level of calorie intake from JF (P < .05). Consumption of fruits, dairy products, and protein-rich foods is associated with JFC (P < .05). Regardless of obesity status, a significant portion of the daily calorie needs of children from any socioeconomic level is met with JFC. Those who consume JF frequently and in large amounts also consume a lot of dairy products and protein-rich foods and very little fruit. The long-term effects of JFC on those who consume staple foods at an adequate level should also be investigated.