Contribution of home availability, parental child-feeding practices and health beliefs on children’s sweets and salty snacks consumption in Europe: Feel4Diabetes-Study

The Feel4Diabetes-Study has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (Grant Agreement: n degrees 643708). The content of this article reflects only the authors' views, and the European Community is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. The funding body had no role in the design of this study and collection, analysis and interpretation of the data and inwriting this manuscript.Adoption of healthy dietary and snacking habits could support optimum physical and mental development in children as they define health in adulthood. This study assessed parameters associated with children’s snacking such as food home availability, parenting practices, and parents’ health beliefs. In this cross-sectional study 12, 039 children, 49.4% boys 5-12 years old, participating in the European Feel4Diabetes-Study were included. Children’s weekly consumption of sweets and salty snacks, home availability of snacks, food parenting practices, and health beliefs were assessed via questionnaires. Logistic regression was applied to explore associations of a) home availability of snacks, b) food parenting practices (permissiveness and rewarding with snacks) and c) parent’s opinions on deterministic health beliefs with children’s consumption of sweets and salty snacks. Results showed that home availability (sweets: ORadj 4.76, 95%CI: 4.32, 5.23; salty snacks: ORadj: 6.56, 95%CI: 5.64, 7.61), allowing to consume (sweets: ORadj: 3.29, 95%CI: 2.95, 3.67; salty snacks: ORadj: 3.41, 95%CI: 2.98, 3.90) and rewarding with sweets/salty snacks (sweets: ORadj: 2.69, 95%CI: 2.23, 3.24; salty snacks: ORadj: 4.34, 95%CI: 3.57, 5.28) ‘sometimes/or less frequently’ compared to ‘always/or often’ were associated with lower weekly consumption of sweets and snacks. Parents’ disagreement compared to agreement with deterministic health beliefs and inattentive eating were associated with lower consumption of salty snacks and sweets in children. Overall, the findings of this study indicate that attempts to promote healthy snacking habits in children should aim to improve parental dietary habits, food parenting practices, health beliefs, and reducing home availability of unhealthy foods and snacks.European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program 64370

Frequency of family meals and food consumption in families at high risk of type 2 diabetes: the Feel4Diabetes-study

A family meal is defined as a meal consumed together by the members of a family or by having> 1 parent present during a meal. The frequency of family meals has been associated with healthier food intake patterns in both children and parents. This study aimed to investigate in families at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes across Europe the association (i) between family meals'' frequency and food consumption and diet quality among parents and (ii) between family meals'' frequency and children''s food consumption. Moreover, the study aimed to elucidate the mediating effect of parental diet quality on the association between family meals'' frequency and children''s food consumption. Food consumption frequency and anthropometric were collected cross-sectionally from a representative sample of 1964 families from the European Feel4Diabetes-study. Regression and mediation analyses were applied by gender of children. Positive and significant associations were found between the frequency of family meals and parental food consumption (beta = 0.84; 95% CI 0.57, 1.45) and diet quality (beta = 0.30; 95% CI 0.19, 0.42). For children, more frequent family meals were significantly associated with healthier food consumption (boys, beta = 0.172, p < 0.05; girls, beta = 0.114, p< 0.01). A partial mediation effect of the parental diet quality was shown on the association between the frequency of family meals and the consumption of some selected food items (i.e., milk products and salty snacks) among boys and girls. The strongest mediation effect of parental diet quality was found on the association between the frequency of family breakfast and the consumption of salty snacks and milk and milk products (62.5% and 37.5%, respectively) among girls. Conclusions: The frequency of family meals is positively associated with improved food consumption patterns (i.e., higher intake of fruits and vegetables and reduced consumption of sweets) in both parents and children. However, the association in children is partially mediated by parents'' diet quality. The promotion of consuming meals together in the family could be a potentially effective strategy for interventions aiming to establish and maintain healthy food consumption patterns among children

Contribution of home availability, parental child-feeding practices and health beliefs on children’s sweets and salty snacks consumption in Europe : Feel4Diabetes-Study

Adoption of healthy dietary and snacking habits could support optimum physical and mental development in children as they define health in adulthood. This study assessed parameters associated with children’s snacking such as food home availability, parenting practices, and parents’ health beliefs. In this cross-sectional study 12, 039 children, 49.4% boys 5-12 years old, participating in the European Feel4Diabetes-Study were included. Children’s weekly consumption of sweets and salty snacks, home availability of snacks, food parenting practices, and health beliefs were assessed via questionnaires. Logistic regression was applied to explore associations of a) home availability of snacks, b) food parenting practices (permissiveness and rewarding with snacks) and c) parent’s opinions on deterministic health beliefs with children’s consumption of sweets and salty snacks. Results showed that home availability (sweets: ORadj 4.76, 95%CI: 4.32, 5.23; salty snacks: ORadj: 6.56, 95%CI: 5.64, 7.61), allowing to consume (sweets: ORadj: 3.29, 95%CI: 2.95, 3.67; salty snacks: ORadj: 3.41, 95%CI: 2.98, 3.90) and rewarding with sweets/salty snacks (sweets: ORadj: 2.69, 95%CI: 2.23, 3.24; salty snacks: ORadj: 4.34, 95%CI: 3.57, 5.28) ‘sometimes/or less frequently’ compared to ‘always/or often’ were associated with lower weekly consumption of sweets and snacks. Parents’ disagreement compared to agreement with deterministic health beliefs and inattentive eating were associated with lower consumption of salty snacks and sweets in children. Overall, the findings of this study indicate that attempts to promote healthy snacking habits in children should aim to improve parental dietary habits, food parenting practices, health beliefs, and reducing home availability of unhealthy foods and snacks

Fathers' daily intake of fruit and vegetables is positively associated with children's fruit and vegetable consumption patterns in Europe : the Feel4Diabetes study

Background Past research has focused on the relationship between mothers' and children's eating habits, although little is known about fathers as potential agents. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between fathers' and children's fruit and vegetable (FV) intake in the context of fathers' education level and family income insecurity. Methods Cross-sectional analysis using baseline data from the multicentre Feel4Diabetes Study were collected in 2016. Participants were parent-dyads (fathers, n = 10,038) and school children (n = 12,041) from six European countries. Socio-demographic and dietary data were collected using questionnaires. Associations were assessed applying the multinomial logistic regression model. Results Overall, European children have low FV intake, especially in Southern European countries (Greece, Spain and Hungary). Children with fathers consuming FV daily were more likely to consume fresh fruit (odds ratio [OR] = 2.75; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.95-3.88) and vegetables (OR = 2.55; 95% CI = 1.80-3.60) 1-2 times per day. After adjusting for paternal educational level and family income insecurity significant associations remained for fresh fruit (ORadj = 2.59; 95% CI = 1.82-3.69) and vegetables (ORadj = 1.98; 95% CI = 1.38-2.86). Country differences showed that fathers' educational level and income insecurity might be important factors worth considering for FV intake in Greece. Conclusions The present study showed that fathers' FV intake was positively associated with children's daily intake of these foods. Implementation of future population-based strategies promoting FV intake not only in mothers, but also in fathers could be an effective public health initiative to increase FV intake in children. Policy-makers should give special attention to families dwelling in Southern European regions

Fathers' daily intake of fruit and vegetables is positively associated with children's fruit and vegetable consumption patterns in Europe: The Feel4Diabetes Study

Background Past research has focused on the relationship between mothers' and children's eating habits, although little is known about fathers as potential agents. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between fathers' and children's fruit and vegetable (FV) intake in the context of fathers' education level and family income insecurity. Methods Cross-sectional analysis using baseline data from the multicentre Feel4Diabetes Study were collected in 2016. Participants were parent-dyads (fathers, n = 10,038) and school children (n = 12,041) from six European countries. Socio-demographic and dietary data were collected using questionnaires. Associations were assessed applying the multinomial logistic regression model. Results Overall, European children have low FV intake, especially in Southern European countries (Greece, Spain and Hungary). Children with fathers consuming FV daily were more likely to consume fresh fruit (odds ratio [OR] = 2.75; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.95-3.88) and vegetables (OR = 2.55; 95% CI = 1.80-3.60) 1-2 times per day. After adjusting for paternal educational level and family income insecurity significant associations remained for fresh fruit (ORadj = 2.59; 95% CI = 1.82-3.69) and vegetables (ORadj = 1.98; 95% CI = 1.38-2.86). Country differences showed that fathers' educational level and income insecurity might be important factors worth considering for FV intake in Greece. Conclusions The present study showed that fathers' FV intake was positively associated with children's daily intake of these foods. Implementation of future population-based strategies promoting FV intake not only in mothers, but also in fathers could be an effective public health initiative to increase FV intake in children. Policy-makers should give special attention to families dwelling in Southern European regions

Contribution of home availability, parental child-feeding practices and health beliefs on children&apos;s sweets and salty snacks consumption in Europe: Feel4Diabetes-Study

Adoption of healthy dietary and snacking habits could support optimum physical and mental development in children as they define health in adulthood. This study assessed parameters associated with children’s snacking such as food home availability, parenting practices, and parents’ health beliefs. In this cross-sectional study 12 039 children, 49 center dot 4% boys 5-12 years, participating in the European Feel4Diabetes-Study were included. Children’s weekly consumption of sweets and salty snacks, home availability of snacks, food parenting practices, and health beliefs were assessed via questionnaires. Logistic regression was applied to explore associations of a) home availability of snacks, b) food parenting practices (permissiveness and rewarding with snacks) and c) parent’s opinions on deterministic health beliefs with children’s consumption of sweets and salty snacks. Results showed that home availability (sweets: ORadj: 4 center dot 76, 95 % CI: 4 center dot 32, 5 center dot 23; salty snacks: ORadj: 6 center dot 56, 95 % CI: 5 center dot 64, 7 center dot 61), allowing to consume (sweets: ORadj: 3 center dot 29, 95 % CI: 2 center dot 95, 3 center dot 67; salty snacks: ORadj: 3 center dot 41, 95 % CI: 2 center dot 98, 3 center dot 90) and rewarding with sweets/salty snacks (sweets: ORadj: 2 center dot 69, 95 % CI: 2 center dot 23, 3 center dot 24; salty snacks: ORadj: 4 center dot 34, 95 % CI: 3 center dot 57, 5 center dot 28) ‘sometimes/or less frequently’ compared to ‘always/or often’ were associated with lower weekly consumption of sweets and snacks. Parents’ disagreement compared to agreement with deterministic health beliefs and inattentive eating were associated with lower consumption of salty snacks and sweets in children. Overall, the findings of this study indicate that attempts to promote healthy snacking habits in children should aim to improve parental dietary habits, food parenting practices, health beliefs, and reducing home availability of unhealthy foods and snacks