Body satisfaction in 8-year-old children after long-term dietary counseling in a prospective randomized atherosclerosis prevention trial.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether dietary counseling designed for primary prevention of atherosclerosis and given repeatedly since infancy had an effect on prepubertal children's body satisfaction.


METHODS
Randomized controlled trial.


METHODS
At the age of 7 months, 1062 infants were randomized to an intervention group (n = 540) or a control group (n = 522). At the age of 8 years, body satisfaction of 217 children in the intervention group and 218 in the control group was evaluated.Intervention Since the children were 8 months old, families in the intervention group had regularly received individualized health education and dietary advice aimed at decreasing the children's intake of saturated fat and cholesterol.


METHODS
A pictorial instrument was used in measuring estimated current and desired body sizes; a difference between the 2 indicated body dissatisfaction. Weight and height were measured.


RESULTS
When adjusted for relative weight, there were no differences in the mean values of estimated current size, desired size, or body dissatisfaction between the girls in the intervention and control groups (P =.62, P =.72, and P =.39, respectively), or between the boys in the intervention and control groups (P =.21, P =.64, and P =.53, respectively). The proportions of children who were satisfied with their size, who wished to be thinner, or who wished to look heavier did not differ between the intervention and control groups in either girls (P =.65) or boys (P =.85).


CONCLUSIONS
Long-term, individualized dietary counseling since infancy with the focus on dietary fat did not enhance body dissatisfaction or desire to be thinner in 8-year-old children.
Saarilehto
Susanna
S
Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. susaari@utu.fi
Lapinleimu
Helena
H
Keskinen
Soili
S
Helenius
Hans
H
Simell
Olli
O
D001828:Body Image; D002648:Child; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003376:Counseling; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors