Children's Consumption Research Articles

Immigrant Parents' Knowledge and Attitudes: Sociodemographic Variation Related to Restriction of Children's Sugar Intake.

Focusing on immigrant parents with children aged 0-6 months, this study assessed whether awareness of and attitudes towards restricting children's sugar consumption vary according to family sociodemographic background and parents' oral-health-related behaviours. A cross-sectional study was conducted including immigrant parents attending child public health centers for vaccination of their children. The study included parents born in Asia, Africa, South America, Central America and Eastern Europe. Parents from Western Europe and North America were included if they were partners of the above-mentioned participants. Cross-tabulation and multiple variable logistic regression were used to assess associations of parental knowledge and attitudes with their child's sugar intake and sociodemographic characteristics. Overall, response rate was 72.6%. A total of 345 parents completed personal, structured interviews during their visit to the health centers. Attitudes and knowledge, but not indulgence, related to children's sugar restriction were sociodemographically unequally distributed among immigrant parents. Employed mothers, mothers with immigrant background from North America or Western Europe as well as parents with less frequent own sugar intake were more likely to confirm positive attitudes towards restricting children's sugar snacking. The corresponding odds ratios were OR=1.8 (95% CI 1.1-3.1) and OR=6.6 (95% CI 2.3-18.9). Employed mothers and parents having received dental care information were more likely than their counterparts to possess good oral-health-related knowledge. Parents from sociodemographically disadvantaged backgrounds were less inclined to express positive attitudes and demonstrate sufficient knowledge regarding the limitation of their children's sugar snacking. Culturally adapted oral health intervention programs should be implemented for immigrants, with special reference to children's dietary habits.

Attachment, feeling, and feeding: Associations between caregivers' attachment, emotional and feeding responsiveness, and Children's food consumption

A substantial body of literature links attachment to childhood obesity. However, research on the mechanisms underlying this association is scarce. The present study aimed to test four serial indirect path models to examine whether caregivers' insecure attachment is related to children's food consumption, through its influence on emotional and feeding responsiveness. A total of 352 caregivers of preschool children reported on their attachment orientation, emotional responses to their children's distress, feeding practices, and their children's food consumption. Results showed that caregivers with higher levels of attachment avoidance and anxiety were more likely to use unsupportive emotional responses to children's distress, which predicted the increased use of unresponsive feeding practices, and consequently children's higher sugary and fatty/salty food consumption. Higher levels of attachment avoidance were also associated with children's lower fruit and vegetable consumption through lower use of supportive emotional responses and responsive feeding practices, while higher levels of attachment anxiety were associated with children's lower fruit and vegetable consumption only by lower use of responsive feeding practices. These findings suggest that the influence of insecure attachment on caregivers' emotion regulation may contribute to the use of specific feeding practices that, in turn, affect children's food intake and may have implications for obesity risk.

Comparison of Preoperative and Postoperative Ultrasound-Guided Caudal Block Analgesia for Lower Limb Surgeries in Pediatrics: A Randomized Controlled Trials

Background: Evaluating pain after surgery is particularly important in children due to their limited ability to communicate effectively. The intensity, duration, and threshold of pain make it challenging to assess in this age group. Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of ultrasound-guided caudal block at different timings on children's pain and drug consumption during unilateral knee osteotomy surgery. Methods: In a randomized clinical trial, fifty patients were randomly included in the study. The patients were children aged 2 - 6 years, candidates for unilateral osteotomy surgery under general anesthesia with total IV anesthesia (TIVA). The patients were divided into two groups based on the timing of the caudal block: The first group received the block after induction, and the second group received it after surgery and before extubation. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of the average amount of Propofol and narcotic consumption during recovery at different time points (P > 0.05). However, significant differences in pain levels were observed during the operation at 60 minutes (P-value < 0.001) and 120 minutes (P-value = 0.006) between the two groups. Pain scores at the start of recovery and at 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 hours postoperatively were significantly lower in the second group than in the first group. Additionally, the mean difference in Bispectral Index (BIS) at 60 minutes between the two groups was significant (P-value = 0.003), but there was no significant difference at 120 minutes (P-value = 0.896). The second group consistently had significantly lower pain levels than the first group at all times. Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, patients who received a caudal block had lower pain scores, and performing the block before extubation had more beneficial effects on postoperative pain management in children undergoing osteotomy surgery than performing it after induction.

Parents' attitudes and response to their child's pornography consumption in Australia: cross-sectional survey.

Background Parents play an important role in monitoring children's internet use, shaping their child's understanding of sex, and are key stakeholders in the development of sexual health education policies. Therefore, we investigated parents' awareness of and responses to children's pornography exposure. Methods We invited parents with children aged from 8 to 20years (n =1029) to complete an observational cross-sectional online survey about pornography and young people. Results A total of 48% of parents thought that young people view pornography rarely or never, and 21% agreed that watching pornography could be part of a healthy relationship for young people. Some parents (27%) were aware that their child had ever viewed pornography. Most parents (56%) acted on this by talking to their child, while others (10%) took no action, or restricted access to devices (6%). Discussing pornography was found to be strongly associated (P Conclusions These findings provide new insights for policy responses and can guide the development of tools to support parents to respond to their children's pornography exposure.

Exploring barriers and facilitators to feeding children with minimal or no "Junk Food": Insights from Mexican women.

This study aims to investigate the factors that promote or hinder the feeding of children with minimal or no ultra-processed products to inform the design of an mHealth strategy in Mexico and prevent child malnutrition among the economically vulnerable. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted, involving 24 in-depth face-to-face interviews with caregivers of children aged 24-59 months from both urban and rural communities. To analyze the data, we used thematic analysis and incorporated a few elements of grounded theory. More barriers than facilitators were identified. Key barriers included: misconceptions and the widespread availability of junk food through an extensive network of grocery stores; neighbors and family gifting junk food; the association of soda with celebrations; the practice of indulging children with junk food; and the normalization of junk food consumption by both adults and children. Facilitators included: caregivers' awareness of the health risks associated with junk food; economic constraints limiting junk food purchases; support from husbands in regulating children's junk food consumption; the presence of a family member with diabetes; specific cultural beliefs about children's digestive health; as well as displacement of "healthy" foods that nourish children. Based on our findings, we formulated recommendations for interventions at intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, community, and public policy levels to support healthier feeding practices for children.

Popular Culture in Social Media & Online Games: Between Morality, Fear, and Expectations from Families and Schools

Aim. This article aims to present the meanings given by families and schools in viewing popular culture in social media and online games, and the implications for children. Important questions in this study include the relevance of educational values, concerns, fears and hopes of families and schools in viewing popular culture today. Methods. Phenomenology to explore how families and schools interpret the presence of popular culture in children's lives. Results. Families and schools agree that compared to the positive benefits, popular culture has more negative effects on children. Concerns related to children's imitation nature, such as imitating various popular content on social media and online games and practising them in the real world. Families and schools fear of negative popular content will appear algorithmically and randomly on children's social media or online game homepages. All parties hope that the Indonesian government has the firmness to limit the intensity of use and the type of content consumed by children. Conclusion. Popular culture is inseparable from children's lives today, as social media and online games have become new spaces for them. Despite knowing this, families and schools still suffer from worry and fear of the negative effects of popular culture on children. The control exercised by families and schools still provides a gap for negative popular culture to enter when children operate social media and online games. Therefore, moral teachings are needed for families and schools to ask the government to be actively involved in limiting children's consumption of popular culture.

Regretful bites: Exploring the influence of anthropomorphized food on children's food choices and consumption

Anthropomorphizing food is a prevalent marketing technique, particularly for children; however, its impact on their choices and consumption remains largely unexplored. We conducted two experiments to investigate how anthropomorphism affects food choices and consumption in four- and five-year-old children. In Study 1 (within-subjects design, N = 72), children were shown both anthropomorphized and non-anthropomorphized cookies and given a plastic coin. They were asked to choose the cookie they would like to exchange the coin for. The results indicated that a greater proportion of children selected the anthropomorphized cookie. In Study 2 (between-subjects design, N = 144), children were given either an anthropomorphized or a non-anthropomorphized cookie and allowed to eat as much as they wished. Those who received the anthropomorphized cookie consumed less and reported more feelings of regret compared to those who were given a non-anthropomorphized cookie. Together, these findings suggest that while anthropomorphic features might increase food choice, they paradoxically decrease actual consumption while increasing feelings of regret.

Socio-Cultural Study of Nutrition in Families of Stunted Toddlers in Coastal Communities in Jember Regency

Background: Cultures, traditions, or habits that exist in society, such as dietary restrictions and wrong eating patterns, can lead to increased nutritional problems, especially in toddlers, which ultimately impacts their growth and development. Low-income family parenting patterns in feeding and primary health care for toddlers can also increase the incidence of stunting in toddlers. This could be the cause of the stunting rate in the Jember Regency, especially in coastal areas. Dietary problems, including stunting, in coastal areas should be less likely to occur because the availability of high-protein animal foods such as fish is quite high, but Curahnongko Village is included in the stunting locus area in Jember Regency. Aims: This research aims to describe the socio-cultural nutrition and parenting styles of toddlers in Curahnongko Village. Methods: The study used qualitative and research methods with a case study approach. Results: The socio-culture during pregnancy in the coastal communities of Jember Regency regarding TTD consumption, routine check-ups, taboos during pregnancy, and visits to midwives are quite good. Socio-culturally during the breastfeeding period, it can be concluded that all informants carried out Early Breastfeeding Initiation (IMD). Socio-culturally during the feeding period for toddlers, all informants do not give food other than breast milk to babies when they are born. Conclusion: The socio-cultural aspect that appears to influence the occurrence of stunting is during the feeding period for toddlers, namely the frequency of children's snack consumption outside the home.

Eating vegetables at school lunchtimes: Pilot and feasibility studies testing strategies to improve intake

Vegetable provision at schools in the UK has increased over recent years; however children still eat few of the vegetables that are served to them. Two experimental pilot and feasibility studies implemented a vegetables-served-first (study 1) plus experiential learning (study 2) approach to increase children's (3–5 years and 4–7 years respectively) vegetable consumption at school lunchtimes. Both studies involved vegetables-served-first 10-min before the rest of the meal, with experiential learning techniques (repeated exposure, “veg-first” dinner plates, vegetable songs, videos, and nutrition education) complementing the vegetable service in study 2. Study 1 (n = 38) found that vegetables-served-first, compared with serving all foods together, increased vegetable intake by ∼12 g. Study 2 (n = 69) found that vegetable consumption depended on individual schools. Schools where vegetable intake was low showed increases in consumption during intervention weeks, whereas schools with high vegetable intake showed little change. Acceptability of interventions was found to be good for children and schools that participated, although concerns about time to serve vegetables first and COVID-related environmental restrictions reduced feasibility for some schools. Child engagement could also be improved by offering a wider variety of vegetables during repeated exposure to reduce monotony. Future research should design interventions using co-design methods including schools to suit their context best, whilst also addressing the problem with a systems approach. Interventions which focus on child learning through experience need to take account of specific school environments including curricular needs, resources available for school lunch (including both time and space), provision of food, support from teachers and parents, and the culture around eating (e.g. encouragement, pressure to eat, lunchtime competing with playtime). Joined-up systems approaches could enhance both provision and uptake of vegetables at school meals.

Assessment of Biochemical, Inflammatory Biomarkers and Ultra-Processed Food Consumption in Children with Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth: A Cross-Sectional Study.

This study evaluated anthropometric, biochemical, and inflammatory biomarkers, as well as dietary intake in Brazilian children diagnosed with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and compared them with their counterparts without SIBO. This was a cross-sectional study with 106 children aged 7 to 10 years. A glucose-hydrogen breath test was performed to diagnose small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Anthropometric and dietary characteristics were assessed. Blood samples were collected and serum biochemical parameters and cytokines were measured. The occurrence of SIBO was 13.2%. Age, BMI, BMI/age WC, BFP, sex and biochemical markers were similar between SIBO-positive and SIBO-negative children (p > 0.05). High consumption of ultra-processed foods tended to be higher in SIBO-positive compared to SIBO-negative children (47.8 ± 8.2 vs. 42.6 ± 9.5, p = 0.06). Serum levels of IL-17 were higher in SIBO-positive than in SIBO-negative children [69.5 (5.4-125.7) vs. 53.4 (2.3-157.7), p = 0.03], while serum levels of IL-10 were lower in SIBO-positive than in SIBO-negative children [2.3 (0.6-7.2) vs. 5.7 (0.5-30.8), p = 0.04]. Finally, in a logistic regression adjusted for sex, BMI and age, consumption of ultra-processed foods (p = 0.03) and IL-6 levels (p = 0.003) were found to contribute to the occurrence of SIBO. this study identified for the first time an occurrence of 13% of SIBO in children living in the northeastern region of Brazil and showed that consumption of ultra-processed foods and serum levels of IL-6 may influence the occurrence of the SIBO in the pediatrics population.

How do maternal socioeconomic and behavioral patterns affect oral health in early childhood?

A prospective longitudinal observational cohort study. The data analyzed were derived from a comprehensive observational study on BRISA prenatal cohort conducted in São Luís City, Brazil, between 2010 and 2013. A convenience sample included pregnant women recruited from both public and private prenatal health services in the city. To participate in the study, women needed to have undergone an obstetric ultrasound before the 20th week of pregnancy to estimate gestational age. Multiple pregnancies were excluded. Initially, the pregnant women were interviewed and assessed for oral health indicators between the 22nd and 25th weeks of pregnancy. A follow-up interview was conducted within 48 h after delivery. In the child's second year, the mothers were re-interviewed, and the children were examined for the second follow-up. The study received approval from the local ethics committee, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants. The research followed the STROBE guidelines for reporting observational studies. At baseline, a structured questionnaire was used to gather sociodemographic and lifestyle information like maternal age, family income, education level, occupation of the family head, pre-gestational BMI, alcohol and soft drink consumption, and smoking status during pregnancy. Dental examinations were conducted by 6 trained and calibrated dentists who assessed DMFT index and periodontal health indicators. In the second follow-up, children's oral health was evaluated using visible plaque index (VPI), gingival bleeding, and the modified dmft index. Children's weight and height were measured by a digital scale, and BMI z-scores were calculated based on WHO standards. Sugar-sweetened beverage intake was categorized by terciles based on the percentage of total daily energy from these beverages. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze multiple pathways among a set of latent and observed variables. Three latent variables were proposed and measured: Socioeconomic Status and Periodontal Maternal Status in the mothers, and Chronic Oral Disease Burden (CODB) in the children. CODB was inferred from 3 observed indicators: VPI, gingival bleeding, and tooth decay. Total, direct, and indirect effects were calculated for variables from the gestational period and the child's second year of life. In total, 1141 mother-child dyads were included. Periodontal Maternal Status correlated with more decayed teeth in pregnant women (standardized coefficient (SC) = 0.089; p = 0.008). Addictive risk behaviors were highly correlated, with SCs of 0.679 (p < 0.001) for alcohol and smoking, and 0.262 (p < 0.001) for soft drink and alcohol consumption. Obesity (SC = 0.081; p = 0.048) and added sugar consumption (SC = 0.142; p = 0.040) were interconnected across generations from pregnant women to their offspring. Children's consumption of sugar was strongly associated with CODB (SC = 0.357; p = 0.005). Caries and periodontitis were correlated in pregnant women. Obesity and sugar consumption have intergenerational impacts. Early sugar intake relates to CODB in early childhood. Intergenerational behavioral risks affect oral health in the first 1000 days of life, influencing long-term health outcomes.

Kajian Pengetahuan Ibu Tentang Autis dan Gizi Anak Autisdi Sekolah Luar Biasa (SLB) Negeri Nunumeu-Soe

Autism is a variant of autism spectrum disorder characterized by social communication difficulties and language barriers, narrow interests and rigid and repetitive behavior. This research aims to examine mothers' knowledge about autism and nutrition for autistic children at Nunumeu-Soe State Special School. This research is a qualitative research. Data collection was carried out using in-depth interview techniques with six informants who have autistic children at Nunumeu-Soe State Special School. The results of the research found that not all informants knew the symptoms of children with autism, so it was discovered that when children were 3-5 years old, the symptoms of autism that were often noticed were difficulty speaking and hyperactivity. Not all informants gave breast milk until the child was two years old due to work factors and replaced it with formula milk. All informants did not know the type of autistic behavior that influences children's consumption patterns, but the informants already knew the levels of autism. Mother's knowledge about nutrition for autistic children regarding types of food that adapt to the child's wishes containing gluten and casein. Food taboos in children are well known, but often escape the mother's attention due to permissive parenting, which causes serious symptoms in children. Barriers to health services and a lack of health workers in TTS district resulted in a lack of informant knowledge. Schools need to consult with local health services to educate parents about the nutrition of autistic children regarding the type of behavior and dietary restrictions of autistic children.

Penyuluhan Pemahaman Makan Olahan Ikan Sebagai Upaya Peningkatan Gizi Anak di Daerah Gampong Cot Unoe

Health efforts for children can be made through improving nutrition. Good nutrition will produce quality human resources. One of the important nutrients for the growth and development of school children is protein from fish. This service activity conveys the message of the importance of fish consumption, involves the role of parents in transforming the benefits of sustainable fish consumption, and explores the factors that influence children's consumption of fish. So it is hoped that it can increase the target's knowledge and determine the factors that influence the target in consuming fish. The results of this activity concluded that there had been an increase in the target group's knowledge about the importance of fish consumption, but its implementation in daily practice could not yet be confirmed. So it is necessary to monitor its implementation. Knowledge and motivation are not the main factors for children wanting to consume fish, the availability of food made from fish at home and processing that can increase children's interest in consuming fish are the main factors that need to be considered.

Understanding Factors that Influence Parents' Provision of Beverages to Their Children: A Qualitative Evidence Synthesis.

Understand parental perceptions of beverages and factors influencing the beverage choices they make for their children. A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL. Included studies contained qualitative data examining parents' perceptions of beverages or factors that influence their child's beverage consumption, were conducted in the United States between 2000 and 2022, written in English, and enrolled parents of children aged 18years or younger. Authors, titles, study aims, methods, qualitative results, and representative quotations were extracted using Covidence. Qualitative findings were independently coded by two coders. Codes were compared and discrepancies resolved through discussion with a third team member. Themes and sub-themes were identified, and representative quotations selected. 13 studies met inclusion criteria. Five major themes emerged: 1) factors that influence parents' provision of beverages to their children, 2) parents' concerns about sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), 3) barriers to limiting children's SSB consumption, 4) strategies to lower children's SSB consumption, and 5) parents' perceptions of beverage healthfulness. Though most parents are aware of unfavorable health effects of frequent SSB intake, environmental and sociocultural factors pose barriers to limiting their child's SSB consumption. Changes to policy and the food environment are needed to initiate and sustain reductions in SSB intake, along with continued nutrition education efforts.

Electrochemical and statistical study of Nickel ion assessment in daily children intake samples relying on magnesium aluminate spinel nanoparticles

Lately, children's daily consumption of some products, such as cereals and candies, has been rising, which provides a compelling rationale for determining any metallic substances that may be present. Monitoring the concentration of certain metals, like nickel, in these products is necessary due to medical issues in humans when consumed regularly. So, in this work, a novel and highly selective carbon paste as a Ni(II) ion-selective sensor was prepared and investigated using ceramic magnesium aluminum spinel nanoparticles as the ionophore and tritolyl phosphate (TOCP) as a plasticizer. A modified co-precipitation method was used to synthesize the spinel nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope with EDAX, transmission electron microscope, and BET surface area were used to determine the phase composition, microstructure, pores size, particle size, and surface area of the synthesized nanoparticles. The spinel nanoparticle was found to have a nano crystallite size with a cubic crystal system, a particle size ranging from 17.2 to 51.52 nm, mesoporous nature (average pore size = 8.72 nm), and a large surface area (61.75 m2/g). The composition ratio of graphite carbon as a base: TOCP as binder: spinal as ionophore was 67.3:30.0:2.7 (wt%) based on potentiometric detections over concentrations from 5.0 × 10−8 to 1.0 × 10−2 mol L−1 with LOD of 5.0 × 10−8 mol L−1. A measurement of 29.22 ± 0.12 mV decade−1 over pH 2.0–7.0 was made for the Nernstian slope. This sensor demonstrated good repeatability over nine weeks and a rapid response of 8 s. A good selectivity was shown for Ni(II) ions across many interferents, tri-, di-, and monovalent cations. The Ni(II) content in spiked real samples, including cocaine, sweets, coca, chocolate, carbonated drinks, cereals, and packages, were measured. The results obtained indicated no significant difference between the proposed potentiometric method and the officially reported ICP method according to the F- and t-test data. In addition to utilizing ANOVA statistical analysis, validation procedures have been implemented, and the results exceed the ICP-MS methodology.

Investigating the Sociodemographic and Health Characteristics of Non-Sugar Sweeteners Consumption in Greek School-Aged Children: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The childhood consumption of non-sugar-sweetened (NSS) soft drinks is a growing concern due to its potential health implications. This study investigated demographic, anthropometric, and lifestyle factors influencing NSS soft drink consumption among children. A sample of 1304 children and their parents were surveyed. Analysis revealed that nearly 60% reported consuming NSS soft drinks at least once a week. Also, positive associations were found between NSS soft drink consumption and lower socioeconomic status, increased total beverage consumption, higher maternal BMI, and parental soft drink habits. However, upon employing multivariable models, only the association between total and NSS soft drinks consumption remained statistically significant (OR = 18.925, p < 0.05 for children; OR = 3.801, p < 0.05 for parents), highlighting the pivotal role of parental behavior in shaping children's consumption patterns. These findings emphasize the importance of tracking parental habits, revealing a strong correlation between parental behavior and children's soft drink consumption patterns. Understanding these factors is crucial for developing effective public health strategies for children, which should prioritize not only individual behaviors but also parental modeling and household dynamics.

Toxic Elements in Sheep Milk, Whey, and Cheese from the Environmentally Burdened Area in Eastern Slovakia and Health Risk Assessment with Different Scenarios of Their Consumption.

The study aimed to determine the content of 17 elements (Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sr, and Zn) in samples of sheep milk, cheese, and whey (36 samples in total) collected from a farm in an environmentally burdened area due to the long-term mining and industrial activity in Slovakia as well as to determine the possible risk of consumption via health risk assessment calculations. Consumption of 120 g of milk, 500 g of milk, 20 g of cheese, and 100 g of cheese were used in calculations for children and adults, respectively. According to the results, concentrations of four elements are controversial. Lead concentrations in all types of samples exceeded the maximum permissible lead limit in milk set by European Union legislation. The content of Se and As is problematic for children's consumption, and the target hazard quotient for As and Al is higher than one (considered potentially not safe) in all scenarios. According to the target system approach, lead concentrations in milk and cheese could adversely influence the nervous system and kidneys of adults' and children's developmental and reproductive systems. Considering the worst-case scenario, consuming sheep milk and cheese from the monitored areas could represent a risk and be potentially harmful to human health, mainly for children. However, further monitoring of the levels of elements and concentrations in environmentally burdened areas and more robust data on consumption are needed.

Exploring parental secretive eating of sugary foods and drinks, and its associations with food consumption in families

As a way of modeling healthier eating habits for their children, parents may intentionally avoid consuming sugary foods and drinks (SFDs) in their presence but consume these on other occasions (later referred to as parental secretive eating). This study aimed to 1) explore the prevalence of parental secretive eating, 2) investigate the associations between parental secretive eating and SFD consumption in parents and children, and 3) qualitatively explore the reasons for parental secretive eating. Participants were Finnish mothers (n = 362), fathers (n = 123), and their 3–6-year-old children (n = 403); this data was collected in 2017 as part of the baseline assessment of the DAGIS intervention. Parents reported how often they avoided eating SFDs in the presence of their child, completed food frequency questionnaires for themselves and their child, and responded to an open-ended question of explaining reasons for secretive eating. The overall prevalence of parental secretive eating was 68%. It was more common among mothers than fathers (p < 0.001) and most prevalent in chocolate (61%) and sweets (59%). Parental secretive eating was positively associated with SFD consumption both among mothers (ꞵ = 0.274, p < 0.001) and fathers (ꞵ = 0.210, p = 0.028) in linear regression models adjusted for parents' and child's age, child's gender, parental education level, and number of household members. Mothers' or fathers' secretive eating and child's SFD consumption were not associated (ꞵ = 0.031, p = 0.562; ꞵ = -0.143; p = 0.167). Three themes describing reasons for parental secretive eating were found: family food rules, avoiding child's requests, and aspiration for healthy modeling. In conclusion, parental secretive eating may play an important role in determining SFD consumption in families with preschoolers. Additional research is needed to determine whether parents can prevent their own eating habits from influencing their child through secretive eating.

Examining the effects of brand and licensed characters on parents' perceptions of Children's breakfast cereals

Brand and licensed characters frequently appear on children's breakfast cereal boxes and are known to affect children's product perceptions, selection, and consumption. However, less is known about their impact on parents' perceptions of foods they purchase for their child. The present study assessed the impact of brand and licensed characters featured on three children's breakfast cereal packages on parents' intentions and perceptions in an online experiment. Parents of children aged 2–12 years (n = 1013) were randomized into one of two conditions: breakfast cereals containing brand and licensed characters or breakfast cereals without any characters. Within each condition, participants viewed three breakfast cereal brands in random order per their assigned condition and reported their purchase intentions, healthfulness perceptions, and perceptions of appeal to children using 5-point Likert scales. No significant differences in purchase intentions (p = 0.91), perceived healthfulness (p = 0.52) or perceived child appeal (p = 0.59) were observed between the experimental and control groups. However, exploratory moderation analyses revealed that educational attainment moderated the impact of experimental condition on purchase intentions (p for interaction = 0.002) such that participants with a bachelor's degree in the character condition reported 0.36 points lower purchase intentions compared to the control with no difference between conditions for those with an associate's degree/trade school or high school degree or less. This study did not find an impact of brand and licensed characters on children's breakfast cereals, suggesting that their primary appeal is directly to children. Parents with higher educational attainment may be skeptical of characters on cereal brands. Additional research on the impact of brand and licensed characters on other products, in real-world settings, is needed.

Are sun exposure time, dietary patterns, and vitamin D intake related to the socioeconomic status of Portuguese children?

To investigate the association among sun exposure time, vitamin D intake, dietary patterns, and socioeconomic status in Portuguese children. Participants aged 3-11 years (50.1% females) were recruited from public and private schools (n = 118) in the districts of Coimbra (n = 2980), Lisbon (n = 3066), and Porto (n = 2426). Parents reported their children's daily sun exposure time during the summer season and reported children's food consumption, including vitamin D food sources, using standardized questionnaires. Parents' education level was used as a proxy measure to the socioeconomic status (SES). The principal component factor analysis (PCA) method was used to identify dietary patterns. The eight dietary patterns identified were labeled in: "fast food", "rich in vitamin D", "sugary drinks", "vitamin D", "candies", "supplements", "rich in calcium" and "vegetables/healthy". Linear regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between sun exposure time and dietary patterns according to SES. A total of 4755 children were included. Children from high SES had significantly longer sun exposure time (p < .001) and more frequently consumed vitamin D supplements (p < .001). "Fast food" pattern showed a negative association with sun exposure time in medium and high SES (p = .014 and p < .001, respectively). Children with lower SES spend less time exposed to the sun, consume fewer dietary sources of vitamin D, and consume more foods rich in fat and sugar.