Relationship of socio-economic factors and parental eating habits with children's food intake in a population-based study in a metropolitan area of Brazil.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association of sociodemographic factors and parental food consumption with children's food intake.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey.


METHODS
A population-based study with a representative sample in a metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Parents' socio-economic variables, age and education level and children's age were obtained by face-to-face interviews. The parental food intake was assessed using an FFQ and the children's food intake was assessed using two 24 h recalls.


METHODS
Children (n 366) aged 6-30 months and their parents.


RESULTS
The hierarchical regression analysis indicated that parents' age was positively associated with the intake of vegetables among children (β = 0·73, 95% CI 0·11, 1·34), while parents' educational level was positively associated with the intake of fats (β = 3·52, 95% CI 0·04, 7·01) and negatively associated with the intake of beans (β = -13·98, 95% CI -27·94, -0·03). The age of the children was positively associated with the intakes of meats and eggs (β = 2·88, 95% CI 1·55, 4·22), sugars (β = 5·08, 95% CI 1·85, 8·30) and coffee (β = 1·77, 95% CI 0·71, 2·84), and negatively associated with the intake of vegetables (β = -2·12, 95% CI -3·20, -1·05). The influence of parental food intake was observed for the food groups of breads, cereals and tubers (β = 0·06, 95% CI 0·003, 0·12), beans (β = 0·11, 95% CI -0·003, 0·22) and fruits (β = 0·10, 95% CI 0·03, 0·16). Unfavourable socio-economic variables were associated with intakes of breads, cereals and tubers, vegetables, fruits, meats, sugars and coffee by children.


CONCLUSIONS
Parental food intake is associated with children's intake of cereals, beans and fruits independent of socio-economic status.
1 Post-Graduate Program in Nutrition, Nutrition Institute Josué de Castro, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro/RJ and Antonio Pedro Hospital - Federal Fluminense University, Niterói/RJ, Brazil.
Gabriela
G
dos Santos Barroso
2 Department of Epidemiology, Institute of Social Medicine, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro/RJ, Brazil.
Rosely
R
Sichieri
3 Department of Public Nutrition, Nutrition Institute Josué de Castro, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho 373, Edifício do Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Bloco J, 2° andar, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro/RJ, CEP 21941-902, Brazil.
Rosana
R
Salles-Costa
D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003069:Coffee; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004435:Eating; D002523:Edible Grain; D002149:Energy Intake; D007887:Fabaceae; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014675:Vegetables
D002241:Carbohydrates; D003069:Coffee; D004041:Dietary Fats