Sweet preferences and sugar consumption of 4- and 5-year-old children: role of parents.
We investigated the relationships in children between rules that restrict consumption of mono- and disaccharides (MDS), consumption of MDS and preferences for sucrose-containing orangeade. The background ideas of restriction rules we also investigated. To this end, 44 children (5.1+/-0.5 years) performed a rank-order and paired-comparison test of preference for five orangeades, which differed in sucrose concentration (0.14, 0.20, 0.29, 0.42, 0.61 M sucrose). Parents filled out a questionnaire concerning restriction rules and their children's consumption of MDS-containing foods. Stronger restriction rules were related to a lower consumption of beverages that contained MDS and to a lower consumption of MDS-containing foods during breakfast and lunch. The most freedom to choose foods that contain MDS was given during the afternoon. Fifty-five percent of the children who were highly restricted showed a preference for the highest concentration of sucrose in orangeade. None of these children preferred the orangeade with the lowest concentration of sucrose. While 19% of the children who were little restricted preferred the beverage with the lowest concentration of sucrose, 33% preferred the beverage with the highest concentration. These parents generally believed that sugar has a bad effect on health and had similar background ideas concerning restriction rules.
Liem
Djin Gie
DG
Division of Human Nutrition and Epidemiology, Wageningen Taste and Smell Centre, Wageningen University, PO Box 8129, 6700 EV Wageningen, The Netherlands. djin-gie.liem@wur.nl
Mars
Monica
M
De Graaf
Cees
C
D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004034:Diet Surveys; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology
D019422:Dietary Sucrose