Correlates of dietary intake in Mohawk elementary school children

Abstract

Increased understanding of dietary habits of Aboriginal children can contribute to improved nutrition education programs. To determine correlates of high soft drink intake, high fruit intake and high vegetable intake, Aboriginal children in grades 4-6 from two Kanien'keha:ka (Mohawk) communities completed classroom-administered questionnaires and participated in anthropometric measures and a run/walk fitness test. Independent correlates of high soft drink consumption identified by multivariate logistic regression included higher levels of television-watching, odds ratio [OR] 3.1, (95% confidence interval 1.5-6.4), and higher levels of physical activity, OR 3.0 (1.3-7.1) among girls, and increased video game-playing, OR 6.7 (1.8-25.5), and failing to meet the minimal fitness standard on the run/walk test, OR 2.2 (1.2-4.2), among boys. Independent correlates of high fruit consumption included each year of increasing age among boys OR 0.7 (0.5-1.0), and higher levels of physical activity among girls OR 4.0 (2.0-7.9) and boys OR 3.5 (1.5-7.7). Independent correlates of high vegetable intake included age among boys OR 0.7 (0.5-1.0), increased video game-playing among girls OR 4.5 (1.4-14.9), and higher levels of physical activity among girls OR 3.5 (1.5-7.7) and boys OR 2.8 (1.2-6.5). These findings suggest targets for interventions aimed at improving eating habits of Aboriginal children