Urbanization influences dietary habits of Cypriot children: the CYKIDS study.
OBJECTIVE
Nutrition transition and urbanization have been linked to the adoption of a Western diet. An increasing number of Cypriot have abandoned their traditional eating habits and replaced them with a more westernized diet. Therefore, we aimed to examine the relationship between dietary habits of preadolescent children in Cyprus and their place of residence, with reference to nutrition transition.


METHODS
CYKIDS is a national, cross-sectional study, among 1140 children (10.7 +/- 0.98 years). Dietary assessment was based on a 154-item semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was evaluated by the KIDMED index. Logistic regression and bivariate analyses were used for data analysis.


RESULTS
Differences between children from urban and rural areas were not major, but it was found that children from rural areas consumed more traditional foods, were less likely to eat fast food [OR = 0.66, 95% CI (0.49-0.88)] and more likely to have meals with the family [OR = 2.49, 95% CI (1.62-3.81)].


CONCLUSIONS
The minor differences relating the dietary patterns to the place of residence reflect the changes in eating habits and the abandonment of the traditional Mediterranean diet, which may be attributed to the nutrition transition and urbanization phenomena.
Lazarou
Chrystalleni
C
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece. stalolaz@logosnet.cy.net
Kalavana
Theano
T
D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003535:Cyprus; D004034:Diet Surveys; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012424:Rural Population; D012922:Social Change; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population; D014507:Urbanization