Dataset Information

Shifts in Sources of Food but Stable Nutritional Outcomes among Children in the Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

ABSTRACT: Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), State governments, and school districts took unprecedented steps to mitigate the pandemic's impact on students' nutrition. To examine the effect of emergency responses on 6-year-old children's nutritional outcomes, this study analyzed longitudinal data from a national study of children's feeding practices, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children-Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Study-2 (WIC ITFPS-2). Findings include no differences in food insecurity prevalence; however, there were shifts in sources of food, with children in the post-COVID-emergency-declaration (post-ED) group consuming more dietary energy from stores and community food programs and less from restaurants and schools than children in the pre-COVID-emergency-declaration (pre-ED) group (p < 0.01 for all comparisons). Examination of within-person mean differences in 2015 Healthy Eating Index scores and nutrient intakes between ages 5 and 6 years revealed few statistically significant differences between the two groups: children in the post-ED group consumed slightly fewer vegetables (p = 0.02) and less sodium (p = 0.01) than their pre-ED peers. Findings suggest emergency efforts to maintain children's nutrition were largely successful in the early months of the pandemic. Research is needed to understand the mechanisms by which emergency efforts contributed to these findings.

SUBMITTER: Borger C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8656921 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Shifts in Sources of Food but Stable Nutritional Outcomes among Children in the Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Borger Christine C Paolicelli Courtney C Ritchie Lorrene L Whaley Shannon E SE DeMatteis Jill J Sun Brenda B Zimmerman Thea Palmer TP Reat Amanda A Dixit-Joshi Sujata S

International journal of environmental research and public health 20211130 23

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), State governments, and school districts took unprecedented steps to mitigate the pandemic's impact on students' nutrition. To examine the effect of emergency responses on 6-year-old children's nutritional outcomes, this study analyzed longitudinal data from a national study of children's feeding practices, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children-Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Stud ...[more]

PMID: 34886351

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Project description:Despite recommendations to the contrary, consumption of discretionary (energy-dense, nutrient-poor) foods begins for some children early in the weaning period, and the proportion of children consuming discretionary foods increases markedly in the second year of life. The purpose of this study was to determine intake and sources of discretionary foods in a cohort of 828 Australian toddlers (mean age: 13.1mo), and to identify determinants of discretionary food intake. At approximately 12 months of age, 3 non-consecutive days of dietary intake data were collected using a 24-h recall and 2-day food record, and the percentage total energy derived from discretionary foods was estimated. Linear regression was used to identify associations between discretionary food intake and socio-demographic determinants (mother's age, level of education, country of birth, pre-pregnancy body mass index, socioeconomic position, parity, age of child when mother returned to work, and child's sex) and age at which complementary foods were introduced. The average energy intake of children in this cohort was 4040 (±954.7 SD) kJ with discretionary foods contributing an average of 11.2% of total energy. Sweet biscuits, and cakes, muffins, scones and cake-type desserts contributed 10.8% and 10.2% of energy intake from discretionary foods, respectively. Other key contributors to energy intake from discretionary foods included sausages, frankfurters and saveloys (8.3%), vegetable products and dishes where frying was the main cooking technique (8.6%), butter (7.3%), and finally manufactured infant sweet or savory snack foods (9.3%). Higher intakes of discretionary food were associated with children having two or more siblings (p = 0.002), and being born to younger mothers (<25 years) (p = 0.008) and mothers born in Australia or the United Kingdom (p < 0.001). Parents, in particular young mothers and those with larger families, need practical guidance on how much of, and how often, these foods should be eaten by their children.

Project description:BackgroundMalnutrition is a significant problem in Africa. In Kenya, 26% of under-fives are stunted; slums are the hardest hit. Obunga slum has the highest prevalence at 40%.MethodsA cross-sectional study was adopted; simple random sampling techniques were used to identify 189 eligible households in the Obunga slum with children between 6-24 months. An interviewer-administered questionnaire collected data on food price perceptions and food and beverage marketing. An anthropometric data collection form gathered information on the children's height, weight and age. Scores for stunting, wasting and underweight were generated based on WHO Z-Score cut-off points. Binary logistic regression identified the relationship between food price perceptions, food and beverage marketing and the nutritional status of children between 6-24 months in Obunga slums.ResultsPrevalence of wasting was 3.2%, stunting was 27.0%, underweight was at 7.4%, while overweight was at 13%. Food price perceptions: An increase in fruits prices was significantly associated with wasting (Adjusted O.R. = 10. 82, C.I. = 1.10-106.77, P < 0.05) and underweight (Adjusted O.R. = 5.44, C.I. = 1.35-21.61, P < 0.05). Food & Beverage Marketing: Feeding children on commercially produced complementary food products and commercially produced food was significantly associated with wasting at an (Adjusted O.R. = 7.82, C.I. = 1.29-47.46, p < 0.05, and adjusted O.R. = 5.96, C.I. = 1.06-33.60, p < 0.05) respectively. Stunting was significantly associated with listening/reading or watching advertisements on commercial food products (Crude O.R. = 0.49, C.I. = 0.24-0.998, p < 0.05.). Watching food-related adverts on television (Adjusted O.R. = 0.38 C.I. = 0.146- 0.10) and watching marketing on commercial foods (Adjusted O.R. = 0.21, C.I. = 0.07-0.61) and watching television (Adjusted O.R. = 9.30, C.I. = 2.31-37.40). While watching food-related adverts on television was associated with being underweight (Adjusted O.R. = 18.68 and at C.I. = 1.22-286.89).ConclusionThe price perceptions of fruits, feeding children commercially produced food products and complementary foods, and Watching food-related adverts on television; had an impact on the nutritional status of children. Thus, a longitudinal study would be needed to understand the long-term effect of food prices and food and beverage marketing on nutritional status.

Dataset Information

Shifts in Sources of Food but Stable Nutritional Outcomes among Children in the Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Publications

Shifts in Sources of Food but Stable Nutritional Outcomes among Children in the Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

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