Dietary Patterns Of Children Research Articles

Maternal Nutritional Understanding, Attitudes, and Practices: Implications for Children's Eating Habits

Purpose: This study delves into the maternal understanding, attitudes, and practices related to nutrition and their potential implications for children's eating habits in India. Through a comprehensive examination, we aim to uncover valuable insights into the dynamics of maternal influence on children's dietary patterns in the specific cultural and contextual setting of India. The findings from this research contribute to a nuanced understanding of the interplay between maternal nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and practices, shedding light on potential avenues for targeted interventions to promote healthier eating habits among children in the Indian context. The structured questionnaire, encompassing dimensions of maternal nutritional knowledge, attitudes toward dietary practices, and specific behaviors influencing children's eating habits, serves as the primary tool for data collection. Anthropometric measurements of both mothers and children augment the dataset, offering a nuanced perspective on the nutritional status of participants. Limitations, such as reliance on self-reported data and the cross-sectional nature of the study, are acknowledged. Despite these constraints, this research aspires to contribute valuable insights into the intricate web of factors influencing children's eating habits within the unique socio-cultural landscape of India. The findings are expected to inform targeted interventions and policy recommendations, fostering healthier nutritional practices among children in this diverse and dynamic setting.

Maternal determinants of dietary patterns in infancy and early childhood in the Growing up in New Zealand cohort

Given the importance of diet in early life, assessing children’s diet is crucial to guide interventions. Using data from a nationally generalizable New Zealand (NZ) birth cohort we examined children’s dietary patterns at 9- (n = 6259), 24- (n = 6292), and 54-months (n = 6131), and their association with maternal sociodemographic and health behaviours. At each time-point, children's dietary patterns were identified using principal components analysis. We then used multivariate linear regression to examine associations between each pattern and maternal variables. At 9-, 24- and 54-months, two dietary patterns were identified, explaining 36.4%, 35.3% and 33.6% of children's intake variability, respectively. Refined high in sugar, salt and fat dietary pattern, at all time-points, was characterized by high positive loadings in white/refined breads and cereals, and items with high sugar, sodium, and fat content. At 24-months, Refined high in sugar, salt and fat also included a high positive loading with protein food groups. Fruit and vegetables dietary pattern, at all time-points, had high positive loadings for fruits and vegetables (with type varying across time-points). Fruit and vegetables also included high loading in whole grain options of breads and cereals at 24-months and the protein food group was part of this dietary pattern at 9- and 54-months. Children’s scores on the Refined high in sugar, salt and fat pattern had strong associations with maternal smoking habits, education level, ethnicity, and maternal scores in the “Junk” and “Traditional/White bread” dietary patterns (constructed from an antenatal interview). Children’s scores on the Fruit and vegetables pattern had strong associations with the maternal scores in the dietary pattern “Health Conscious”. Interventions to improve diet in early life in NZ need to be responsive to ethnicity and suitable for people of all education levels. Interventions that improve maternal health behaviours may also improve children’s diet.

Factors associated with the dietary patterns of children with precocious puberty

Objectives To investigate the nutritional status and factors associated with dietary patterns, sociodemographic variables and physical activity practice in children diagnosed with central precocious puberty (CPP). Methods Cross-sectional study with 85 female children aged 10 years with a diagnosis of CPP. Nutritional assessment was performed through body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and body composition by measurements of skinfolds (SF) and bioelectrical impedance (BIA). The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used, followed by varimax orthogonal rotation to identify dietary patterns, and Poisson regression to verify associations between variables, using a significance level of 5%. Results The group had a mean age of 8.4 years (1.30) and lived mostly in urban areas (52 – 61.2%). Excess weight was observed in 64.7% according to the BMI, 32.9% according to the WC and 63.5% according to body fat%. Two main dietary patterns were identified: the “western” and the “healthy” patterns. The identified dietary patterns were not associated with nutritional status, assessed according to all considered indicators. WC and body fat% were inversely associated with physical activity practice (PR=1.96, CI=1.12-3.43) and directly associated with the individuals’ urban area of residence (PR=0.63, CI= 0. 42-0.94), respectively. Conclusion: The results showed a high prevalence of excess weight, which was inversely associated with physical activity practice and directly with urban area of residence, although nutritional status is not associated with the identified dietary patterns. These results highlight the need for educational and informative measures to fight obesity.

Examining The Relationship Between Children's Dietary Patterns and The Development of Dental Problems

Background: This cross-sectional study explores the relationship between children's dietary patterns and the development of dental problems in a sample of 200 participants aged 6 to 12 years. Recognizing the critical role of nutrition in pediatric oral health, the study aims to identify associations between dietary habits, nutrient intake, and prevalent dental issues. Methods: Dietary patterns were assessed using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), and nutrient intake was analyzed. Clinical examinations by trained dental professionals evaluated dental problems, including caries, enamel erosion, and malocclusions. Statistical analyses, including logistic regression, were employed to examine associations between dietary patterns and dental outcomes. Results: Demographic characteristics indicated a balanced sample with equal gender distribution and representation across age groups. Analysis of dietary patterns revealed mean values within recommended ranges for caloric intake, protein, carbohydrates, fat, and calcium. Significant associations were found between high sugar consumption and dental caries, low calcium intake and enamel erosion, and irregular snacking habits and malocclusions Conclusion: This study underscores the importance of understanding the intricate relationship between children's dietary patterns and dental health. The identified associations provide insights for targeted interventions aimed at reducing sugar consumption, promoting adequate calcium intake, and addressing irregular snacking habits to enhance pediatric oral health.

The Effects of Potato Presentation on Vegetable Intake in School-Aged Children: A Cross-Over Study.

Vegetables are an essential component of a healthy dietary pattern in children; however, their consumption is often insufficient due to lack of preference. To address this, the influence of combining vegetables (mixed peas and carrots-MPACs) with potatoes, a generally liked food, on overall vegetable consumption among children aged 7-13 years was explored. The research involved a cross-over study design with 65 participants who completed five lunchtime meal conditions, each with different combinations of MPACs and potatoes versus a control (MPACs with a wheat roll). The meals were provided in a cafeteria setting, and plate waste was used to measure vegetable consumption. Anthropometric data and other variables were also measured. Notably, self-reported hunger did not significantly differ between conditions. Meal condition was a significant predictor of MPACs (F = 5.20; p = 0.0005), with MPAC consumption highest when combined with shaped potato faces in the same bowl (+8.77 g compared to serving MPACs and shaped potato faces in separate bowls) and lowest when combined with diced potatoes in the same bowl (-2.85 g compared to serving MPACs and diced potatoes in separate bowls). The overall model for MPAC consumption was influenced by age, height z-score, body fat percentage z-score, and condition (likelihood ratio = 49.1; p < 0.0001). Age had the strongest correlation with vegetable consumption (r = 0.38), followed by male gender, height z-score (r = 0.30), and body fat z-score (r = -0.15). The results highlight the positive impact of combining potatoes with vegetables in school meals, particularly when using shaped potato faces. These findings emphasize the potential of potatoes as a valuable vegetable option in promoting healthier eating habits among children. Additionally, future research could explore the impact of different potato combinations and investigate other factors influencing meal consumption in school settings.

Assessing Dietary Practices of Children with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) - A Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to find children's dietary patterns with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) and its characteristics in children. METHODOLOGY: This mixed-method cross-sectional study was conducted in April 2021 among children with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. Thirty participants of the age group (5-12 years) were selected from the Pediatrics and Children Ward of Ittefaq Hospital, Lahore, with a purposive sampling technique. Outpatient children aged between 5 and 12 years were included, whereas the children who had any congenital disabilities and were diagnosed with any other eating disorder were excluded. A focus group discussion was held for the formulation of the questionnaire. A diagnostic criteria questionnaire for ARFID was taken from the Canadian Pediatric Surveillance Program 2017, including anthropometric data and general characteristics/behavioral features. A self-structured food frequency questionnaire was used. Informed consent was taken from all participants. Qualitative interviews were reported as thematic analysis, and Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 25 as statistical analysis for data visualization, simple statistics to generate summary charts, and customized graphs. RESULTS: Patients with ARFID were primarily female and relatively young, with a mean age of 8.35±0.46. Most of the participants were underweight (77%). The mean BMI (kg/m2) of the children was 13.7±0.26. Most patients with ARFID also reported a lack of interest in eating, loss of appetite, aversion due to sensory characteristics and avoidance of certain foods. CONCLUSION: ARFID is prevalent in all populations, but the lack of awareness among healthcare professionals and the general population makes the diagnosis difficult. KEYWORDS: ARFID, Eating Disorders, Food aversions, Food Frequency Questionnaire, Loss of appetite, Underweight

Exploring the Influence of COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown and School Closure on ‎Children's Dietary Patterns: A Multinational Study Across Middle Eastern Arab Nations

This study aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Middle Eastern Arab ‎children’s eating habits, body weight, lifestyle, physical activity, sleeping hours, use of smart ‎electronic devices, and mental health. This exploratory study was conducted using a self-‎administered questionnaire and distributed to parents of children aged 4–12 years. Multinomial ‎logistic regression was performed to model the relationship between the predictors ‎and children’s ‎body weight changes during the pandemic. ‎A total of 891 responses were included from Bahrain, ‎Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, and Oman. The mean of the ‎children’s weight gained during the pandemic was 4.19 ± 3.08 Kg. A sedentary lifestyle has ‎significantly increased from 4% of children (pre-pandemic) to 17.9% during the pandemic (p &lt; ‎‎0.001). Children’s sleeping hours have also significantly increased (&gt; 9 hours/day) from 26.2% to ‎‎38.2%, respectively (p &lt; 0.01). Emotional eating has increased from 72% to 91.5%, respectively. ‎Around 84% of parents reported increased use of smart electronic devices by children (‎5.48 ± ‎‎2.87 hours). A significant proportion of the children became more nagging (251, 44.2%), stressed ‎‎(192, 33.8%), lonely (153, 26.9%), and anxious (125, 22.5%). Increased body weight was more ‎associated with girls, children residing in Jordan and Bahrain, children with working mothers, ‎children of high-income or overweight parents, and children who were already overweight. The ‎findings demonstrate that the COVID-19 lockdown resulted in reduced physical activity, ‎increased food consumption, heightened use of smart electronic devices, and subsequently, ‎increased body weight among children. It is imperative for health authorities to implement ‎interventions, such as proper children's health education, to address these issues in the event of ‎future lockdowns.‎

Dietary Patterns of Children from the Amazon Region of Ecuador: A Descriptive, Qualitative Investigation.

Many young children in Ecuador suffer from high rates of malnutrition and stunting that affect their long-term growth and development. Little is known about the dietary patterns of children from the Amazon region who experience some of the highest rates of stunting (height-for-age) within Ecuador. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 50 mothers of young children living in the Ecuadorian Amazon. In addition to descriptions of overall dietary patterns, three themes emerged from the interviews relating to strengths mothers have in feeding their children healthy diets: knowledge, autonomous and independent children, and supportive and responsive parenting. Five themes were found relating to barriers mothers have in feeding their children healthy diets. The first four themes concerned barriers (lack of knowledge of healthy foods, lack of access to healthy foods, not enough money, and child's health) related to multidimensional poverty. All these influenced the last theme found, namely, how difficult of an eater the child was. The implications of intervention efforts to reduce undernutrition and promote children's development by building on specific family and community strengths and identified barriers are also discussed in this paper.

Nutritional status and dietary patterns of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Bangladesh

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted purposively among 45 children who took regular health and nutritional care facilities in the Savoy Autism Rehabilitation Center at Narayanganj, Bangladesh with the aimed to observe the nutritional status and dietary patterns of the selected attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) child. About 24% of the respondents were well nourished, while 18% of respondents were overweight and 58% of the children were underweight. Dietary patterns were monotonous, cereals (rice/bread) consumption were higher, whereas daily fish and meat consumption were very poor such as 4.4% (small fish), 13.3% (large fish), and 2.2% (meat) respectively daily. Fruits and vegetables consumption were also found as poor among the children. It can be concluded that more emphasis should be given to the incorporation of meat, fish, fruits and vegetables daily into the diet of children with providing nutritional care guidelines to the caregivers of these children so that their diet gets more diversified to ensure macro and micronutrient adequacy. Diet rich with adequate nutrients and proper behavioral and psychiatric therapy should be provided in order to control hyperactive-related disorders.

Dietary Models and Cardiovascular Risk Prevention in Pediatric Patients.

Nutritional intervention is worldwide recognized as a first step treatment for subjects with increased cardiovascular risk and it is of utmost importance especially for children and adolescents. Currently scientific evidence supports the role of dietary patterns instead of simple single nutrients or foods in cardiovascular risk prevention. Indeed, the American Heart Association dietary guidelines have expanded beyond nutrients to dietary pattern, that comprise not only single food items but also behavioral or cultural habits of specific populations. The aim of our narrative review is to analyze the most frequently adopted dietary patterns in children and adolescents and to evaluate their effect on cardiovascular risk factors and in cardiovascular risk prevention. Literature review showed that children cannot be considered as little adults: nutritional intervention must always grant adequate growth and neurodevelopment before reaching the proposed goals, therefore dietary patterns considered heart-healthy for adult subjects might not be suitable for pediatric patients. Mediterranean diet, DASH diet, Nordic diet and some plant-based diets seem to be the most promising dietary patterns in terms of cardiovascular health in the developmental age, even if further studies are needed to better standardize and analyze their effect on growing up individuals.

Dietary patterns of Indian school-aged children and associations with markers of chronic disease risk.

There is an increasing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in India which may be related to changing dietary patterns. We aimed to assess dietary patterns in children since they have time to change unhealthy patterns before NCDs develop. Participants were 665 children, 9-12 years old, born with low birth weight and 77 similarly aged normal birth weight controls. We collected data on sociodemography, anthropometry, body composition, and markers of risk for NCDs: grip strength, long jump, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). A food frequency questionnaire was used to collect dietary data from which dietary patterns were derived using principal component analysis (PCA). Fourteen food groups were included in the PCA analysis, resulting in three components: 'fruits and vegetables', 'protein', and 'sugar and fat'. Higher socioeconomic status and maternal education were associated with lower adherence to the fruit and vegetable pattern and higher adherence to the protein and sugar and fat patterns. Adherence to the fruits and vegetables pattern was associated with lower height-for-age, whereas the fat and sugar pattern was associated with higher indicators of body fat. In linear regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, religion, socioeconomic status, maternal education, and season of data collection, adherence to the 'fruits and vegetables' pattern was associated with lower grip strength, shorter long jump, and lower HbA1c. Adherence to the other patterns was not associated with NCD risk factors. Higher consumption of fruits and vegetables, achievable even by poorer families in the cohort, may lower HbA1c, a risk factor for diabetes.

Consumption of ultra-processed foods and dietary patterns of children (6-12 years) in Obowo local government area Imo state, Nigeria

Consumption of ultra-processed foods and dietary patterns of children (6-12 years) in Obowo local government area Imo state, Nigeria

Dietary patterns and child, parental, and societal factors associated with being overweight and obesity in Vietnamese children living in Ho Chi Minh city.

Childhood overweight and obesity are rapidly increasing in urban Vietnam. Dietary patterns are understudied for their association with obesity risk in these children, and it is unclear which parental and societal factors should be targeted in prevention efforts. The study assessed child characteristics, dietary patterns, parental and societal factors for associations with childhood overweight and obesity status in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. A sample of 221 children aged 9-11 years was randomly selected from four Ho Chi Minh City primary schools. Weight, heightand waist circumference were measured using standardized methods. Three 24-hdietary recalls were collected from 124 children, which were used to assess dietary patterns using principal component analysis (PCA). Parents completed a questionnaire about child, parentaland societal factors. The overall prevalence of obesity was 31.7% and of combined overweight and obesity 59.3%. Three main dietary patterns from 10 food groups were identified by PCA: traditional (grains, vegetables, meat and meat alternatives), discretionary (snacks and sweetened beverages), and industrialized (fast food and processed meat). Children with higher discretionary diet scores had higher odds of being overweight. Being a boy, screen time over 2 h/day, parental underestimation of child weight status, father's obesity, and household income in the lowest quintile were positively associated with childhood obesity. Future intervention programmes in Vietnam need to consider targeting children's unhealthy diets and parental perceptions of child weight status, as well as focusing on upstream approaches that reduce inequities contributing to childhood obesity and concomitant dietary patterns.

Comparison of anthropometric parameters and laboratory test results before and after the COVID-19 outbreak among Chinese children aged 3-18 years.

To compare the physiological health of Chinese children around the COVID-19 lockdown. We extracted data on children's anthropometric and laboratory parameters from May to November in both 2019 and 2020 from the Health Checkup Center, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China. Overall, 2162 children aged 3~18 years without comorbidities in 2019 and 2646 in 2020 were assessed. Mann Whitney U tests were used to compare differences between the above health indicators before and after COVID-19 outbreak. Quantile regression analyses adjusted for age, sex and body mass index (BMI) were also used in analysis. Chi-square tests and Fisher's exact tests were used for comparing differences of categorical variables. Compared with children examined in 2019 before the outbreak, children in 2020 had a higher median z score of BMI for age (-0.16 vs. -0.31), total cholesterol (TC, 4.34 vs. 4.16 mmol/L), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C, 2.48 vs. 2.15 mmol/L), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, 1.45 vs. 1.43 mmol/L) and serum uric acid (290 vs. 282 μmol/L), and a lower hemoglobin (Hb, 134 vs. 133 g/L), triglycerides (TG, 0.70 vs. 0.78 mmol/L) and 25(OH)D (45.8 vs. 52.2 nmol/L), all P < 0.05. No differences were identified for waist height ratio, blood pressure and fasting glucose (both P > 0.05). However, in regression models after adjusting, BMI, TC, LDL-C, blood glucose and sUA were positively correlated with year; while Hb, TG and 25(OH)D were negatively correlated with year (all P < 0.05). Accordingly, children in 2020 had a higher prevalence of overweight/obesity (20.6 vs. 16.7%, P < 0.001), hypercholesterol (16.2%vs. 10.2%, P < 0.001), high LDL-C (10 vs. 2.9%, P < 0.001), hyperuricemia (18.9 vs.15.1%, P = 0.002), vitamin D deficiency (22.6 vs. 8.1%, P < 0.001) and a lower prevalence of high TG (4.3 vs. 2.8%, P = 0.018) compared with children in 2019. In this real-world study, we found that long-term lockdown due to COVID-19 outbreak might cause adverse impact on children's metabolic health, which might increase their future risk of cardiovascular diseases. Thus, parents, health professionals, educationists, and caregivers should pay more attention to children's dietary pattern and lifestyle, especially in this new normal against COVID-19.

Nutritional Status of Primary School Going Children of Charkhole Village Kalimgpong West Bengal

Introduction: Nutritional status in children is an indicator of health and well-being at both theindividual and the population level. Screening for children health status is an integral part of social wellbeing. Nutritional intervention requires repeated measurement of nutritional status to assess severity and to track progress over time. Aims: To assess nutritional status of the participants with reference to their diet habits. To have a comparative analysis of the socio economic background and growth status of the children. Methodology: Methodological issues in the assessment of nutritional status are reviewed with emphasis on anthropometric measurement, body composition, and dietary pattern of children at risk for malnutrition, overnutrition and obesity. Standard anthropometric variables are measured like height weight circumference and skinfold measurement. Results: The findings of the study reveal obesity-1 and overweight children of both sexes in their pre puberty age group. Marginal variations in skinfold and other variables were noticed in the lower age group children among both sexes. Conclusion: Malnourishment among the participants was not found. Age specific height differences were lesser than the weight differences. Obesity among higher age group children indicated dietary significance among the pre adolescents.

Food Safety and Food Security Challenges among ADHD Children in Covid 19 Pandemic

Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity (ADHD) is a typical neurodevelopmental disorder in children with low levels of copper, iron, zinc, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids have been detected in children with ADHD. In contrast, sugar, artificial food colourings, and preservatives have been associated with an increased risk of ADHD. During the COVID-19 pandemic, managing food and nutrition for children with ADHD presented several difficulties. This study was conducted to evaluate the eating patterns of ADHD children, restricted foods (food safety), and the significance/need for parents and caregivers of ADHD children to be aware of food safety and security. The children were between 4 and 12 years old; 64% of the respondents were boys, while 36% were girls. They eat more Indian cuisine and have at least one Indian meal daily, whereas they occasionally enjoy western foods. Children who consume western cuisine are more prone to ADHD than those who consume Indian cuisine. Most parents are aware of the foods children with ADHD should avoid. Regarding ADHD, there is a considerable correlation between children's dietary patterns and food safety. During the pandemic, many parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were primarily concerned with ensuring their children received adequate nutrition and coping with an unanticipated financial crisis.

Nutri-Score: Its Benefits and Limitations in Children's Feeding.

Reducing the burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is one of the top priorities of public health policies worldwide. One of the recognized means of achieving this objective is to improve the diet quality. The Nutri-Score (N-S) is a [five-color-A, B, C, D, E letters] front-of-pack labeling logo intended to help consumers quickly identify the healthier prepackaged foods within a food category. Available studies have shown that the N-S is an efficient tool to achieve this aim in terms of consumers' awareness, perception, understanding, and purchasing and that its use may help to reduce the prevalence of NCDs. The N-S is currently implemented on a voluntary basis in 7 European countries and a discussion is underway within the European Commission to achieve a harmonized mandatory label. However, no study on the putative impact of the N-S on children's dietary patterns and health is available. The N-S is not applicable to infants' and young children's formulas and to specific baby foods, the compositions of which are already laid down in European Union regulations. The N-S does not replace age-appropriate dietary guidelines. As children consume an increasing number of adult type and processed foods, the relevance of the N-S for children should be evaluated considering the children's high specific requirements, especially in younger children. This is especially necessary for fitting fat and iron requirements, whereas protein-rich foods should be better framed. Moreover, efforts should be made to inform on how to use the N-S and in education on healthy diets.

Nutritional content and quality of processed foods and beverages advertised near schools in three cities in the north of Spain.

The advertisement of food and beverages on television and social media has been widely assessed, evidencing its powerful influence on children's dietary patterns and the development of childhood obesity. However, there is a gap in the evidence about advertisements near schools. The aim of this study was to describe and classify the nutritional quality and information of processed foods and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages advertised near schools in three cities in the north of Spain. A descriptive analysis was performed from September to December 2021 in the cities of Oviedo, Gijón and Avilés in the Principality of Asturias (Spain). The nutritional quality and information of processed foods or beverages advertised within a 500 m radius of schools were assessed. The Nutri-Score system was used for the classification of the nutritional quality of products and nutritional information, calories, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, sugars, protein and salt in 100 g or ml of each product was calculated. A total of 73.5% of the products were classified as "foods to eat less often and in small amounts," and 22.6% and 46.3% were classified as D or E, respectively, according to the Nutri-Score system. Finally, 57.5%, 56.4% and 78.5% of the products showed a medium to high content of fat, saturated fat and sugar, respectively. In conclusion, the food and drink advertisements surrounding schools in the assessed cities promote many products of low nutritional value, rich in fat, saturated fat and sugars, which have high obesogenic potential.

Factors Affecting the Dietary Diversity Pattern of Women and Children in Rural Areas of Southern Punjab: A Case of District Vehari

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that affect rural mothers' and children's dietary diversity patterns in Southern Punjab, district Vehari. Children and Women Dietary Diversity Pattern (CDDP &amp; WDDP) illustrate how economically capable women and children are to acquire a wide range of foods. CDDP &amp; WDDP are multi-dimensional. Various socioeconomic factors can affect CDDP &amp; WDDP. The Primary data has been collected from 300 children and 300 women from rural areas. A detailed questionnaire was created to gather information from the respondents following the FAO's recommendations. The data analysis method employed was ordered logistic regression. The findings of this study suggest that children in rural regions’ estimated coefficients of child’s age, mother’s age, maternal education, the income of the household, land, area, and livestock do a have positive impact on children's dietary diversity scores and statistically signify.

Evidence of Unhealthy Dietary Patterns in the School Lunch Sent from Home for Children in Mexico City.

The identification and characterization of dietary patterns are tools that are used to assess associations between diet and health or disease conditions. In Mexico, studies have examined dietary patterns in children for breakfast or for the whole day, but not specifically for their school lunch. The aim was to describe dietary patterns identified in school lunch and their association with the nutritional status and metabolic parameters of schoolchildren. In this cross-sectional study on schoolchildren from four elementary schools of Mexico City, we recorded anthropometry measurements, a fasting blood sample was collected, and metabolic parameters were determined. We obtained information on the foods and beverages that children brought for their school lunch; estimated the caloric and nutritional content; and created food groups to obtain dietary patterns from the energy provided by those groups. Among the 350 schoolchildren (mean age, 7.9 ± 1.2 years) included, 24.9% and 21.7% presented having overweight and obesity, respectively. A total of 89.4% of schoolchildren brought the school lunch from home. Using the K-means method, the following four dietary patterns were identified: (1) sandwiches, tortas, and sweetened dairy products were consumed by 13.1% (n = 46) of the schoolchildren; (2) sweet snacks were consumed by 50.3% (n = 176); (3) sweetened dairy products were brought by 15.1% of the children (n = 53); and (4) sandwiches and tortas were brought by 21.4% (n = 75). These four patterns showed significant differences in terms of the caloric and nutritional contents (p < 0.001). Energy sources in the identified patterns were primarily sugars (15.8–40%). No association was found between the anthropometric and metabolic parameters of children and the dietary patterns. No dietary pattern obtained from the school lunch could be considered as healthy, since all of them had high energy content, and a high percentage of the energy was from sugars from ultra-processed foods and beverages.