Snack Consumption Research Articles

A lifestyle pattern characterised by high consumption of sweet and salty snacks, sugar sweetened beverages and sedentary time is associated with blood pressure in families at risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus in Europe. The Feel4Diabetes Study.

Individuals from families at high-risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are also at high risk for hypertension (HTN) and cardiovascular disease. Studies identifying lifestyle patterns (LPs) combining dietary, physical activity or sedentary variables and examining their possible role with respect to developing blood pressure (BP) are limited. The present study aimed to examine the association of different LPs with BP levels in families at high risk for T2DM in Europe. In total, 1844 adults (31.6% males) at high-risk for T2DM across six European countries were included in this cross-sectional study using data from the baseline assessment of the Feel4Diabetes Study. BP measurements and dietary and physical activity assessments were conducted, and screen times were surveyed. LPs were revealed with principal component analysis of various data regarding diet, physical activity, screen time and smoking. Three LPs were identified. LP3 (high consumption of sweet and salty snacks, sugar sweetened soft drinks and juices, and high amount of screen time) was positively associated with diastolic BP (B, 0.52; 95% confidence interval = 0.05-0.99) and the existence of HTN (odds ratio = 1.12; 95% confidence interval = 1.00-1.25). Participants in the highest tertile of LP3 spent mean 3 h of screen time, consumed 1.5 portions of sweet and/or salty snacks and 1 L of soft drinks on a daily basis, were associated with 12% higher risk of HTN. Focusing on the combination of eating and lifestyle behaviours may more accurately identify, and therefore guide preventive measures tailored to the specific needs of high-risk populations.

The Synergetic Effect of Soft Drinks and Sweet/Salty Snacks Consumption and the Moderating Role of Obesity on Preadolescents' Emotions and Behavior: A School-Based Epidemiological Study.

The consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is high along with the prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems among children and adolescents. The present study sought to investigate the synergetic effect of soft drinks and sweet/salty snacks consumption, and the moderating role of obesity on preadolescents' emotions and behavior. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1728 Greek preadolescents aged 10-12 and their parents, during the school years 2014-2016. Parental and child characteristics were collected anonymously, through self-administered and validated questionnaires. Among others, soft drinks and sweet/salty snacks consumption was recorded, classifying preadolescents as low or at least moderate consumers, while anthropometric characteristics (height, weight, Body Mass Index (BMI)) were also recorded. Approximately 6 out of 10 preadolescents were characterized by at least moderate consumption of either sweet/salty snacks, or soft drinks, while 22.7% of the participants had at least moderate consumption of both soft drinks and sweet/salty snacks. Boys and preadolescents with a lower level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet, as well as those living in a more obesogenic family environment were more likely to be in the higher consumption groups. When compared to just either the moderate consumption of sweet/salty snacks, or the moderate consumption of soft drinks, the combination of both unhealthy eating habits was associated with significantly higher odds of both aggressiveness and loneliness, while the examined relationships were significantly stronger in overweight/obese children. The positive synergistic effect of soft drinks and sweet/salty snacks consumption on preadolescents' emotions of loneliness and aggressive behavior is even burdened by obesity status highlighting the urgent need for policymakers to take preventive measures to halt the detrimental consequences of UPFs consumption on health outcomes, particularly in overweight/obese children. The importance of the improvement of children's unhealthy eating habits by emphasizing the association between food intake and emotional and behavioral status is highlighted.

Rational Food Design Targeting Micronutrient Deficiencies in Adolescents: Nutritional, Acoustic-Mechanical and Sensory Properties of Chickpea-Rice Biscuits

"Hidden hunger", the deficiency of important mineral micronutrients, affects more than 2 billion people globally. Adolescence is unquestionably a period of nutritional risk, given the high nutritional requirements for growth and development, erratic or capricious diets and the increased consumption of snacks. This study applied the rational food design approach to obtain micronutrient-dense biscuits by combining chickpea and rice flours to achieve an optimal nutritional profile, crunchy texture and appealing flavour. The perception of 33 adolescents regarding the suitability of such biscuits as a mid-morning snack was examined. Four biscuits were formulated, with different ratios of chickpea and rice flours (CF:RF): G100:0, G75:25, G50:50 and G25:75. Nutritional content, baking loss, acoustic-texture and sensory analyses were carried out. On average, the mineral content of biscuits with the CF:RF ratio of 100:0 doubled compared with the 25:75 formula. The dietary reference values for iron, potassium and zinc reached 100% in the biscuits with CF:RF ratios of 50:50, 75:25 and 100:0, respectively. The analysis of mechanical properties revealed that samples G100:0 and G75:25 were harder than the others. Sample G100:0 showed the highest sound pressure level (Smax). Sensory analysis showed that increasing the proportion of CF in the formulation augments the grittiness, hardness, chewiness and crunchiness. Most of the adolescents (72.7%) were habitual snack consumers; 52% awarded scores ≥ 6 (out of 9) to biscuit G50:50 for its overall quality, 24% described its flavour as "biscuit" and 12% as "nutty". However, 55% of the participants could not pinpoint any dominant flavour. In conclusion, it is possible to design nutrient-dense snacks that meet the micronutrient requirements and sensory expectations of adolescents by combining flours naturally rich in micronutrients.

High Protein Whole Food Snack and Albumin Outcomes in Patients With Dialysis-Dependent Chronic Kidney Disease

Protein-energy wasting is common among patients on hemodialysis (HD). This study sought to define effects that a novel, post-HD, high-calorie, high-protein whole food snack had on patients' serum albumin (serum alb), serum phosphorus and equilibrated normalized protein catabolic rate (enPCR). A 12-month (6months intervention, 6months pre/post data collection), single-center, unblinded study was conducted. Participants (n=67) consumed, ad libitum, a whole food snack post-HD for 6 treatments each month. Upon analysis, regression models identified relationships between serum alb and whole food snack consumption across follow up. Predefined effect size anticipated was + 0.2g/dL. Patients were stratified by high (≥4g/dL) or low (<4g/dL) mean serum alb during a 3-month baseline period. Paired t-tests compared mean per patient difference in serum alb, enPCR and serum phosphorus from baseline to each month of follow up, stratified by high (≥640 g) or low (<640 g) consumption of the whole food snack (a priori caloric estimation). Linear regression models showed positive associations between higher serum alb and enPCR with higher whole food snack consumption across follow up (all P<.05). Assessments from baseline to each follow-up month show some increases in serum alb, yet t test comparisons were not significant. No significant changes were seen in serum phosphorus levels during follow-up. Albeit the catabolic effects of HD are well-known, effective nutritional interventions are scarce. Results showed that providing a whole food snack post-HD to individuals with serum alb <4.0g/dL may be beneficial but further studies are recommended.

Microbiological Quality and Potential Exposure to Aflatoxins from Consumption of Street-Vended Snacks in Lagos

Microbiological Quality and Potential Exposure to Aflatoxins from Consumption of Street-Vended Snacks in Lagos

Changes in Student's Breakfast and Snack Consumption during the Second COVID-19 Lockdown in Portugal: A Five-Wave Study.

The circumstances of the COVID-19 lockdown affected many students' life spheres, including their feeding patterns and snack intake. The main goals of the present study were to: (a) analyze the changes in students' breakfast and snacking consumption during lockdown, and (b) analyze changes in the content of the students' snacks using the Healthy Eating Index. This study analyzed data from a sample of 726 students from 36 classes from the late elementary (i.e., fifth grade) through high school (i.e., twelfth grade) from two public schools in the north of Portugal. Data were collected in five moments during the 2020/2021 school year, pre-, during, and post-second lockdown moments. Throughout the five moments, almost 90% of the students ate breakfast, and the majority brought snacks from home to eat in school. Surprisingly, there was an increase in the quality of the snacks consumed during lockdown compared to the pre-lockdown moments (e.g., consumption of more whole and total fruits and less consumption of food with added sugar, saturated fats, refined grains, and fatty acids). Suggestions for healthy behavior promotion will be discussed, such as improving the school food environment and teaching children to prepare healthy lunch boxes.

Frequency of Consuming Breakfast Meals and After-Dinner Snacks Is not Associated with Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Risk: Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study

BackgroundThere has been little investigation into how the timing of meals and eating occasions associates with postmenopausal breast cancer risk. ObjectiveWe examined the association between the frequency of consuming breakfast meals and after-dinner snacks with the risk for postmenopausal breast cancer. MethodsA prospective analysis of 74,825 postmenopausal women aged 49 to 81 y from the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study cohort. Breakfast and after-dinner snack intake were assessed at year 1 examination. Risk for invasive and in situ breast cancer diagnosed before 28 February 2020 was modeled with multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models according to breakfast and after-dinner snack consumption frequencies. The models were adjusted for age, self-identified race/ethnicity, education, income, physical activity, smoking, alcohol intake, diet quality score (Healthy Eating Index 2015), energy intake, diabetic status, hormone therapy, and BMI. ResultsDuring the follow-up period, 5313 participants were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and 1197 participants with in situ breast cancer. Compared with participants who did not eat breakfast, those with daily breakfast consumption was not associated with invasive breast cancer (HR: 1.04; 95% CI: 0.9, 1.19) nor in situ (HR: 1.25; 95% CI: 0.91, 1.74) breast cancer. There were monotonic higher point estimates of in situ breast cancer for each higher category of breakfast intake from 0 to 7 times per week (P-trend = 0.04, Wald test). Compared with consumption of daily after-dinner snacks, avoidance of after-dinner snacks was not associated with invasive breast cancer (HR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.87, 1.08) nor in situ (HR: 1.12; 95% CI: 0.89, 1.42) breast cancer. ConclusionsThere was no association between intake frequency of breakfast meals or after-dinner snack habits and with risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

Hubungan Pengetahuan dan Perilaku Konsumsi Jajanan dengan Kejadian Diare pada Anak MDTA Al-Hamid di Kecamatan Medan Johor

In the selection of snacks there are influencing factors, namely external and internal factors. Food contaminated with pathogenic bacteria poses a risk of health problems such as digestive disorders namely diarrhea. This type of research is quantitative research. The sampling technique in this study was carried out using the total sampling method.The population in this study was MDTA Al-Hamid children totaling 30 respondents, which is the total population of children studying at MDTA Al-Hamid Medan Johor District. The results of this study are that there are 20 respondents (76, 9%) who have poor knowledge of snack consumption so that they experience diarrhea and there are 18 respondents (71,5%) who have poor behavior in consuming snacks so that they experience diarrhea. The conclusion of this study is that there is a relationship between knowledge and behavior of snack consumption with the incidence of diarrhea in MDTA Al-Hamid children in Medan Johor District.&#x0D; Keywords: Knowledge, Snack Consumption Behavior, Diarrhea, Children

Dietary practices and nutritional status of children served in a social program for surrogate mothers in Colombia

BackgroundDietary practices are acquired in the family context and in turn can affect the health of family members, especially the nutritional status of children. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between nutritional status and feeding practices in children from foster families served by the SOS Children's Villages program in Cartagena, Colombia.MethodsThe study had a cross-sectional design. Through a non-probabilistic purposive sampling, 139 children from 0 to 5 years of age from the SOS Children's Villages Cartagena program were involved. The sociodemographic background of the participants was recorded and the nutritional status of the children was evaluated through anthropometric and biochemical measurements. Dietary practices were measured by means of a standardized questionnaire. Analyses were performed with Poisson regression models with robust variance. These regression models provided prevalence ratios (PR) with their respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI).ResultsAmong dietary practices, it was observed that most families eat together at home (63.3%), watch television when they eat (55.4%), and have dietary norms (80.6%). Consumption of plant foods was predominantly high, especially vegetables (86.3%), fruits (92.1%), cereals (84.9%), root vegetables, and bananas (93.5%). Consumption < 4 times/week of soft drinks and industrialized juices increases 14.3 times the probability of low weight-for-height in the study population compared to the group that does not consume them. On the other hand, watching television while eating (PR: 2.82, 95%CI 1.32—4.69) and consumption of sweet snacks (PR: 2.24, 95%CI 1.03—4.87) increased the probability of low height-for-age; while having eaten norms at home decreased the probability of low height-for-age in the study population by 50%.ConclusionIt is necessary to develop and implement interventions such as preventive measures and early diagnosis of inappropriate feeding behaviors to ensure adequate nutritional status among children under 5 years of age.

The Factors Affecting The Occurrence of Obesity in College Students

Obesity is a physical condition that can lead to health disorder. An increase in body mass index can be a risk factor for some non-communicable diseases, among which are cardiovascular diseases. College students are among the people with high risk of obesity. This review aims to describe factors that can cause obesity and hence the increasing risk of cardiovascular diseases in college students. We first collected 608 studies associated with our review and then selected 9 studies that highly correlate to our specific purpose. We evaluated each selected study for its quality and risk of bias using STROBE. We then conducted data extraction of each study. It can be concluded from the results of data extraction that even though there are various factors contributing to the occurence of obesity in college students, skipping breakfast and high snack consumption have a close relationship with the occurence. In addition, inadequate physical activity and high calorie diet also contribute to its occurence. Finally, smoking is also associated with the occurence of obesity, that can lead to the increasing risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Effect of Ending the Nationwide Free School Fruit Scheme on the Intake of Fruits, Vegetables, and Unhealthy Snacks in Norwegian School Children Aged 10-12 Years.

The Norwegian authorities started a nationwide free school fruit program in 2007, implemented in all secondary schools (grades 8-10) and combined schools (grades 1-10) in Norway. The program ended in 2014. This study evaluates the effect of ending the nationwide free school fruit program on the consumption of fruit, vegetables, and unhealthy snacks among Norwegian sixth and seventh graders. The study sample consists of pupils at 18 schools that participated in all data collections in the Fruits and Vegetables Make the Marks project (FVMM), initiated in 2001, with new data collections in 2008 and 2018. Four of the schools were combined schools, therefore children in sixth and seventh grade at these schools received free fruit in 2008 (intervention schools), and fourteen schools did not (control schools). Between 2008 and 2018, pupils at the intervention schools ate a lower proportion of fruits and vegetables per school week, and the consumption of unhealthy snacks increased compared to the control schools. Completion of the free fruit program was not significantly different for boys and girls, or low and high parental education. The results indicate that the end of the free school fruit program resulted in less healthy eating habits among children.

Relation between caries experience and the consumption of sweetened drinks and processed food in children: A population-based study.

Diet can play a role in caries disease and the consumption of ultra-processed foods has increased over the years. The purpose was to propose predictive models on the relation between caries experience, diet, sex, and oral health aspects. This cross-sectional study included 5213 schoolchildren aged 2-11 years and a questionnaire based on WHO Oral Health Survey was applied to assess the intake of sugary foods, oral hygiene practices, access to health services and parents' perception; dmft/DMFT index, biofilm accumulation and orthodontic treatment need were assessed by 6 calibrated dentists. The logistic model showed that female sex and presence of biofilm increased the chance of having early childhood caries; besides, this chance increased by 17% for each additional day of sweetened drink intake. In children aged 6-11 years, a negative binomial regression model showed that the absence of biofilm and frequency of toothbrushing were related to lower caries index, while male sex and the consumption of salty snacks and cake/cookies were related to higher dmft+DMFT index. Disagreement or weak agreement between caregivers' perception of the presence of dental caries and children's need for dental treatment was found. Early childhood caries was dependent on the consumption of sweetened drinks and the presence of biofilm, while in older children the caries experience was predicted by the consumption of snacks, cakes and biscuits, biofilm accumulation and toothbrushing frequency, emphasizing the need of health education to encourage healthy eating habits and oral care with an approach to parents/caregivers to prevent dental caries development.

Effect of motivational interviewing on oral and dental health of adolescents with fixed orthodontic appliances

Introduction: Orthodontic appliances increase the risk of dental caries and gum disease. Since it is rather difficult to maintain oral hygiene in patients with fixed orthodontic appliances due to the presence of brackets, bands, and arch wires, they should be persuaded to take care of their oral cavity. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of an oral and dental health educational intervention using motivational interviewing in adolescents with fixed orthodontic appliances.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: Thirty adolescents with fixed orthodontic appliances aged 12-16 years presenting to orthodontics departments of school of dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, received individual counselling, verbal guidelines, and training for correct brushing and flossing techniques by a senior student of dentistry during a 20-minute motivational interview. To evaluate the effect of the intervention, oral health behaviors including brushing, flossing, and consumption of sugary snacks were collected in a self-report manner. Moreover, plaque and gingival indexes were measured before and one-month post intervention. The SPSS software version 23 was used for data analysis.&#x0D; Results: Among oral health behaviors, optimal frequency of brushing increased after the intervention (p=0.002). The mean plaque index was 0.99±0.43 before and 0.37±0.16 after the intervention, indicating a significant difference (p&lt;0.001). Moreover, the mean gingival index (average inflammation) was 0.99±0.56 before the intervention, which improved to 0.30±0.20 after the intervention (p&lt;0.001).&#x0D; Conclusion: Educational intervention based on motivational interviewing reduced dental plaques and gingival inflammation and increased the frequency of brushing in the short term among adolescents with fixed orthodontic appliances.

MENINGKATKAN PENGETAHUAN, SIKAP DAN PERILAKU ANAK SD DARUL FADHLI PALEMBANG DALAM PENCEGAHAN PENYAKIT DIARE

The incidence of diarrhea in Indonesia was 3.0% in children aged 5-14. The incidence of diarrhea in South Sumatra in 2017 reached 174,808 and has increased to 94,563 million every year. The behavior of washing hands with soap, especially after contact with feces, can reduce the incidence of diarrhea by 42-47%. Snacks pose a risk to health because their handling is often unhygienic, contaminating the snacks. This activity aims to educate children about the relationship between personal hygiene and snack consumption patterns with diarrhea. This activity observed 57 students of SD Darul Fadhli Palembang. This activity concludes that there is an increase in personal hygiene, snack consumption patterns, and the knowledge of diarrhea. It is recommended that schools pay more attention to children during snack time and collaborate with health centers for routine counseling about diarrheal diseases and their prevention

Quantifying the childhood and adolescent overnutrition attributable to specific risk factors: The Young Lives Study in Peru.

Launching priority actions demand a comprehensive appraisal of the size effect that risk factors have on the burden of overweight and obesity. This study aimed to estimate the incidence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents, with special emphasis on the role of specific risk factors. Secondary analysis of data from the younger cohort of the Young Lives Study in Peru (2002-2017). The outcomes were: overweight and obesity, defined by the World Health Organization standards; whereas the exposures included caesarean birth, physical activity levels, sodas and sugar-sweetened beverages consumption, snacks consumption, and maternal body mass index (BMI). We used multilevel Poisson regression models, considering the repetitive nature of data, to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and population attributable fractions (PAFs). A total of 2052 children, mean age 1 (SD 0.4) year, and 50% girls, were enrolled at baseline. After 14 (SD 0.5) years of follow-up, the incidence of overweight and obesity were 7.9 (95% CI 7.6-8.2) and 2.2 (95% CI 2.0-2.4) per 100 person-year, respectively. Maternal BMI (IRRs 3.51; PAF 31.8%), low physical activity (IRR 1.64; PAF 27.4%), caesarean birth (IRR 1.63; PAF 11.4%), almost daily snack consumption (IRR 1.60; PAF 32.1%), and almost daily consumption of sweetened beverages (IRR 1.47; PAF 26.0%) increased the risk of developing obesity. This study provides evidence on the risk of overweight and obesity attributable to diet habits, physical activity and the obesogenic niche among children and adolescents in Peru, which may guide the implementation of evidence-based interventions.

Snacking Behavior and Association with Metabolic Risk Factors in Adults from North and South India

BackgroundSnacks are increasingly contributing to daily diets around the world. Studies from high-income countries have demonstrated the link between snack consumption and metabolic risk factors, but there are very few studies from low- and middle-income countries. ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to assess snack behavior and its associations with metabolic risk factors in Indian adults. MethodsAdults from the UDAY study (October 2018–February 2019, n = 8762) from rural and urban Sonipat (North) and Vizag (South) India were studied for snack consumption (food frequency questionnaire), demographic factors, including age, sex, etc. and metabolic risk factors, including BMI, waist circumference, fat percentage, plasma glucose, and blood pressure. We compared snack consumption by categories of sociodemographic factors (Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis test) and studied the likelihood for metabolic risk (logistic regression analysis). ResultsHalf of the study participants were women and resided in rural locations. Savory snacks were the most preferred; 50% of the participants consumed them 3–5 times/wk. Participants preferred to purchase out-of-home prepared snacks and eat them at home (86.6%) while watching television (69.4%) or with family/friends (49.3%). The reasons for snacking were hunger, craving, liking, and availability. Snack consumption was higher in Vizag (56.6%) than in Sonipat (43.4%), among women (55.5%) than men (44.5%), and the wealthiest; it was similar in rural–urban locations. Frequent consumers of snacks had 2 times higher likelihood for having obesity (OR: 2.22; 95% CI: 1.51, 3.27) central obesity (OR: 2.35; 95% CI: 1.60, 3.45), and higher fat percentage (OR: 1.92; 95% CI: 1.31, 2.82) and higher fasting glucose levels (r=0.12 (0.07–0.18) than consumers who consumed snacks rarely (all P ≤ 0.05). ConclusionsSnack (savory and sweet) consumption was high among adults from sexes in both urban and rural locations of north and south India. This was associated with higher risk of obesity. There is a need to improve the food environment by promoting policies for ensuring healthier food options to reduce snacking and associated metabolic risk.

Food consumption patterns related to excess weight and obesity in Spanish preschoolers.

The aims of this study were (1) to identify the different food consumption patterns among Spanish preschoolers and (2) to examine the association between having a different food consumption pattern and the odds of having excess weight (i.e., overweight or obesity)or obesityamong this population. This was a nationwide cross-sectional study with data from the Spanish National Health Survey-2017. All preschoolers (aged 3-5 years) with complete information on all the variables analyzed were selected. The frequency of consumption of the fourteen food groups was evaluated by a food frequency questionnaire. Excess weight/obesity were computed following the World Health Organization criteria. A hierarchical cluster analysis using Ward's method (i.e., based on squared Euclidean distances) and k-means were performed including all food group consumption. A total sample of 663 was included in the cluster analysis. Three different clusters were established. Compared to the healthiest food consumption pattern (Cluster 1), higher odds of excess weight (OR = 1.51; CI: 95%, 1.02-2.25) and obesity (OR = 1.59; CI: 95%, 1.01-2.51) were found for participants with the unhealthiest food consumption pattern (Cluster 3). Having a food consumption pattern considered unhealthy (i.e., low intake of vegetables/fruits, high consumption of confectionery products, sugar-sweetened beverages, fast-food, and snacks) was associated with presenting excess weight/obesityamong Spanish preschoolers. No studies have examined the specific food consumption patterns associated with excess weight or obesity among Spanish preschoolers. The unhealthiest food consumption pattern was characterized by a food consumption pattern that included a lower intake of vegetables and fruits and a higher consumption of confectionery products, sugar-sweetened beverages, fast-food, and snacks. Having a food consumption pattern considered unhealthy was associated with a higher prevalence of excess weight and obesity in comparison with other healthier food consumption patterns.

Association between time of exposure to screens and food consumption of children aged 2 to 9 years during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective:To identify and map families’ time of exposure to screens during the COVID-19 pandemic and to associate it with the frequency of children’s food consumption.Methods:This is a cross-sectional study carried out with parents or guardians of children aged between 2 and 9 years through an online questionnaire. The participants answered questions about socioeconomic data, family’s screen habits, and children’s food consumption.Results:A total of 517 parents or guardians participated in the research. Children’s median age when first exposed to screens was 6 months (interquartile range: 1–12 months). The average number of hours that children and guardians/parents were exposed to electronic devices was 3.9±2.3 and 9.0±2.9 respectively. As for food consumption, 60.9% of the guardians/parents and 54.3% of the children had the habit of having meals in front of screens. In addition, the consumption of snacks outside mealtimes, while using screens, was frequent in both groups.Conclusions:Children aged 2 to 9 years are excessively exposed to screens and the consumption of meals or snacks while using the devices is frequent. Considering the current demands of the pandemic, the necessity of using electronic devices is understandable. However, the authors emphasize the importance to educate families regarding limiting the use of screens, especially during meals, and monitoring the content of activities with electronic devices, as this exposure can influence food consumption and affect children’s nutritional status and health.

Consumption of ultra-processed foods and associated factors in children from Barbacena (MG), Brazil.

To evaluate the prevalence of ultra-processed food consumption and associated factors among children enrolled in the public school system of the city of Barbacena, Minas Gerais, Brazil. This is a cross-sectional study conducted with schoolchildren aged 7-9 years, of both sexes, enrolled in state public schools. Food intake was assessed using the Previous Day Food Questionnaire and the level of physical activity by the Previous Day Physical Activity Questionnaire. The listed foods were classified according to the extent and purpose of industrial processing, using the NOVA classification. Pearson's χ2 test, Fisher's exact test, χ2 with Yates correction, and Poisson regression were used in the statistical analysis, estimating the crude and adjusted prevalence ratio, with 95% confidence intervals. The prevalence of daily ultra-processed food consumption was 69.6%. After adjusted analyses, the consumption of ultra-processed food was associated with the omission of breakfast, mid-afternoon snack, supper, low physical activity, and consumption of risk foods. On the other hand, consumption of in natura or minimally processed foods was associated with older age, the consumption of lunch, mid-afternoon snack, dinner, and protective foods. There is a high prevalence of ultra-processed foods consumption, associated with unhealthy dietary habits among schoolchildren. This highlights the need for nutritional counseling and educational actions, favoring healthy eating in childhood.

Prevalence of Early Childhood Caries and Its Association with Feeding Habits among 3–5 Year Old Preschool Children: A Cross-sectional Study in Chennai City, India

Background: Early childhood caries (ECC) is a form of dental caries affecting infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Aim: The study was carried out to determine the prevalence of ECC and its association with feeding habits among the preschool children aged 3–5 year old in Chennai city. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 342 randomly selected mother-child dyads in Chennai city. The mothers were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire comprising of their demographic data and child’s feeding habits. The presence of decay was assessed by a single trained examiner using the criteria described by the World Health Organization (2013). Data obtained were analyzed using Chi-square test. The significance level was set at P ≤ 0.05. Results: The overall ECC experience among the study subjects was 53.8%. Among the children who started bottle feeding at the age of 1–2 years, 72.9% belonged to the high caries group. The practice of nocturnal bottle feeding was observed in 39.6% children in the high caries group. Moreover, 56.2% in the high caries group were fed cow’s milk. ECC was higher among children who consumed snacks 1–3 times a day. Conclusion: Duration and frequency of bottle feeding, nocturnal feeding practice, feeding with cow’s milk, and frequent consumption of snacks, were significantly associated with ECC experience among the children. Data obtained may serve as a baseline for planning and evaluation of community development and oral health promotion programs.