title: Dietary habits among children aged 8-9 years in Italy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe dietary habits and related geographic and socio-demographic characteristics among children aged 8-9 years in Italy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the 2012 national nutritional surveillance system collected from children, parents and teachers, have been linked to determine the children's eating habits. Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the association between incorrect dietary habits and their potential predictors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 46 307 children, 8.6% skipped breakfast, 48.8% did not eat vegetables and 28.7% did not eat fruit daily, 64.8% ate an abundant mid-morning snack, 41.4% drank sugary beverages and 12.5% drank carbonated beverages at least once a day. Three or more incorrect habits were found in 43.9% of the children. Incorrect dietary habits were more common among children with lower socio-economic conditions, who were resident in the South of the country and who spent more time watching TV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Italy, unhealthy dietary habits are common among children. The deficiencies identified may well be a harbinger of future public health problems.
authors.affiliation: Centro Nazionale di Epidemiologia, Sorveglianza e Promozione della Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lauria
authors.affiliation: Centro Nazionale di Epidemiologia, Sorveglianza e Promozione della Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spinelli
authors.affiliation: Servizio Igiene Alimenti e della Nutrizione, Asl RM B, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cairella
authors.affiliation: Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l'Analisi dell'Economia Agraria, Centro di Ricerca per gli Alimenti e la Nutrizione, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Censi
authors.affiliation: Centro Nazionale di Epidemiologia, Sorveglianza e Promozione della Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nardone
authors.affiliation: Centro Nazionale di Epidemiologia, Sorveglianza e Promozione della Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buoncristiano
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004034:Diet Surveys; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D011634:Public Health; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors