Post-Pandemic Feeding Patterns and Mediterranean Diet Adherence in Spanish Toddlers
During the last decade, feeding patterns, more specifically those of children, have worsened—affecting dietary habits and Mediterranean diet adherence. Here, we examine the post-pandemic feeding habits of Spanish toddlers. A total of 2465 parents of children aged between 12 and 36 months completed a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/9/2049 |
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| author | Ana Isabel Reyes-Domínguez Javier Bernabeu-Sendra Cristina Rodríguez-Sinovas Alicia Santamaria-Orleans Roser de Castellar-Sanso Jorge Martinez-Perez |
| author_facet | Ana Isabel Reyes-Domínguez Javier Bernabeu-Sendra Cristina Rodríguez-Sinovas Alicia Santamaria-Orleans Roser de Castellar-Sanso Jorge Martinez-Perez |
| author_sort | Ana Isabel Reyes-Domínguez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | During the last decade, feeding patterns, more specifically those of children, have worsened—affecting dietary habits and Mediterranean diet adherence. Here, we examine the post-pandemic feeding habits of Spanish toddlers. A total of 2465 parents of children aged between 12 and 36 months completed an online 25-item multiple-choice survey asking about dietary habits and Mediterranean diet adherence. Only 34 children (1.38%) had an adequate intake of all of the food groups included in the questionnaire. Adherence worsened as toddlers grew (<i>p</i> < 0.0001). Further, lower compliance was found in children with a higher intake of fast food (<i>p</i> < 0.001), those with siblings (<i>p</i> = 0.0045), and children who were the second or third child (<i>p</i> = 0.0005). The food group with the most commonly reported adequate intake was fish (88% of children), followed by pulses (80%), water (79%), and meat (78%). Cow’s milk was the most commonly consumed dairy product among all age groups analyzed. Half of the children exhibited a low consumption of milk and dairy products. These results showed that a lack of adherence to a balanced diet is common among Spanish toddlers in the post-pandemic period and that greater parent education could improve the nutrition of toddlers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:11:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bc45cd25d87a4f2cabc5141bd32f2f31 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:11:29Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-bc45cd25d87a4f2cabc5141bd32f2f312023-11-17T23:28:26ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432023-04-01159204910.3390/nu15092049Post-Pandemic Feeding Patterns and Mediterranean Diet Adherence in Spanish ToddlersAna Isabel Reyes-Domínguez0Javier Bernabeu-Sendra1Cristina Rodríguez-Sinovas2Alicia Santamaria-Orleans3Roser de Castellar-Sanso4Jorge Martinez-Perez5Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Unit, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular-Materno Infantil de Gran Canaria, 35016 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, SpainPediatric Department, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia, 46010 Valencia, SpainInstitut d’Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB SANT PAU), 08041 Barcelona, SpainLaboratorios Ordesa S.L., Scientific Communication Department, 08830 Sant Boi del Llobregat, SpainLaboratorios Ordesa S.L., Medical Department, 08830 Sant Boi del Llobregat, SpainGastroenterology and Nutrition Service, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, 28009 Madrid, SpainDuring the last decade, feeding patterns, more specifically those of children, have worsened—affecting dietary habits and Mediterranean diet adherence. Here, we examine the post-pandemic feeding habits of Spanish toddlers. A total of 2465 parents of children aged between 12 and 36 months completed an online 25-item multiple-choice survey asking about dietary habits and Mediterranean diet adherence. Only 34 children (1.38%) had an adequate intake of all of the food groups included in the questionnaire. Adherence worsened as toddlers grew (<i>p</i> < 0.0001). Further, lower compliance was found in children with a higher intake of fast food (<i>p</i> < 0.001), those with siblings (<i>p</i> = 0.0045), and children who were the second or third child (<i>p</i> = 0.0005). The food group with the most commonly reported adequate intake was fish (88% of children), followed by pulses (80%), water (79%), and meat (78%). Cow’s milk was the most commonly consumed dairy product among all age groups analyzed. Half of the children exhibited a low consumption of milk and dairy products. These results showed that a lack of adherence to a balanced diet is common among Spanish toddlers in the post-pandemic period and that greater parent education could improve the nutrition of toddlers.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/9/2049toddlersMediterranean dietgrowing-up milkbalanced diet |
| spellingShingle | Ana Isabel Reyes-Domínguez Javier Bernabeu-Sendra Cristina Rodríguez-Sinovas Alicia Santamaria-Orleans Roser de Castellar-Sanso Jorge Martinez-Perez Post-Pandemic Feeding Patterns and Mediterranean Diet Adherence in Spanish Toddlers Nutrients toddlers Mediterranean diet growing-up milk balanced diet |
| title | Post-Pandemic Feeding Patterns and Mediterranean Diet Adherence in Spanish Toddlers |
| title_full | Post-Pandemic Feeding Patterns and Mediterranean Diet Adherence in Spanish Toddlers |
| title_fullStr | Post-Pandemic Feeding Patterns and Mediterranean Diet Adherence in Spanish Toddlers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Post-Pandemic Feeding Patterns and Mediterranean Diet Adherence in Spanish Toddlers |
| title_short | Post-Pandemic Feeding Patterns and Mediterranean Diet Adherence in Spanish Toddlers |
| title_sort | post pandemic feeding patterns and mediterranean diet adherence in spanish toddlers |
| topic | toddlers Mediterranean diet growing-up milk balanced diet |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/9/2049 |
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