Parent-reported Eating and Leisure-time Activity Selection Patterns Related to Energy Balance in Preschool- and School-aged Children

Abstract

Objective

Compare parent-reported preschool- and school-aged children's eating and leisure-time activity patterns that are proposed to influence energy balance.

Design

Cross-sectional investigation of children, 2 to 12 years, attending a well visit.

Setting

Pediatric private practice/ambulatory pediatric clinic.

Participants

One hundred seventy-four children: 49% preschool-aged, 54% female, 28% Hispanic, and 34% overweight or at risk for overweight.

Variables Measured

Parent-reported eating/leisure-time behaviors. Height/weight from medical records.

Analysis

Analyses of covariance/chi-square tests; significance at P ≤ .05.

Results

By parents' report, preschool-aged children consumed more servings/day of low-fat dairy (2.1 ± 1.6 vs 1.7 ± 1.5; P < .01), fewer servings/day of sweetened drinks (1.4 ± 1.9 vs 2.2 ± 2.6; P < .01) and watched fewer hours/day of weekend TV (2.3 ± 1. 3 vs 2.7 ± 1.3; P < .05) than school-aged children. Fewer preschool-aged children consumed salty (14.0% vs 26.1%; P < .05) and sweet (16.3% vs. 29.5%; P < .05) snack food daily, and a greater percentage regularly consumed dinner with a parent (93.0% vs 80.7%; P < .05), as assessed by parent report.

Conclusions and Implications

Parent-reported children's eating/leisure-time patterns that may influence energy balance were less healthful in the school-aged children. However, most children did not meet recommendations, irrespective of age or weight. Interventions for meeting recommendations should start with families with preschool-aged children. Future research should focus on identifying factors that might be contributing to increased reporting of problematic food and leisure-time activity patterns in school-aged children.

Key Words: children, preschool, diet, leisure time, obesity

1 Department of Nutrition, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee

2 Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, The Miriam Hospital, Brown Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island

3 Department of Community Health and Pediatrics, Brown Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island

Address for correspondence: Hollie Raynor, PhD, RD; Department of Nutrition, 1215 W. Cumberland Ave, JHB 341, Knoxville, TN 37996; Phone: (865) 974-6259; Fax: (865) 974-3491

Continuing Education Questionnaire available at www.sne.org/ Meets Learning Need Codes for RDs and DTRs 4000, 4010, 4060, and 4150.

This research was supported by grants DK074919 from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and ADA 7-05-HFC-27 from the American Diabetes Association.

PII: S1499-4046(08)00089-4

doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2008.03.008

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