Assessment of Diet Quality in Children and Adolescents with Overweight or Obesity in Greece
The adoption of healthy nutritional habits constitutes one of the most important determinants of healthy growth and development in childhood. Few studies in Greece have examined children’s diet quality using diet indices. The present study aimed to assess the diet quality of a large cohort of childr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Children |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/10/7/1261 |
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| author | Odysseas Androutsos Thomas Tsiampalis Matina Kouvari Maria Manou Maria Dimopoulou Alexandra Georgiou Rena I. Kosti Evangelia Charmandari |
| author_facet | Odysseas Androutsos Thomas Tsiampalis Matina Kouvari Maria Manou Maria Dimopoulou Alexandra Georgiou Rena I. Kosti Evangelia Charmandari |
| author_sort | Odysseas Androutsos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The adoption of healthy nutritional habits constitutes one of the most important determinants of healthy growth and development in childhood. Few studies in Greece have examined children’s diet quality using diet indices. The present study aimed to assess the diet quality of a large cohort of children and adolescents with overweight or obesity. Study participants (<i>n</i> = 1335), aged 2–18, were recruited through the Out-patient Clinic for the Prevention and Management of Overweight and Obesity in Childhood and Adolescence, Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital, Athens, Greece. Anthropometric, socio-demographic, and behavioral data were collected using standard methods and equipment. The Diet Quality Index (DQI), which includes four subcomponents (i.e., dietary diversity, dietary quality, dietary equilibrium, and meal index), was calculated to assess each subject’s diet quality. According to the results of this study, children’s total DQI score was 63.1%. It was observed that 66.7% of the children had at least moderate diet quality (total DQI ≥ 59.34%). Boys had higher values of the total DQI and certain components of the DQI (i.e., dietary equilibrium score and meal index) compared to girls. Three out of ten children with overweight/obesity had poor diet quality (i.e., DQI ≤ 59.33). Younger children (2–5 years old) were found to have the lowest values of dietary equilibrium compared to older children (6–9 and 12–18 years old). Moreover, boys had higher values of the total DQI score and of specific components of this index (i.e., dietary equilibrium and meal index) compared to girls. Children living in urban areas had higher values in the dietary quality score compared to those living in rural areas. Children with overweight had higher values of the dietary quality score and the total DQI score compared to children with obesity. The present study highlighted that children and adolescents with overweight or obesity have poor diet quality. Multilevel and higher intensity interventions should be designed specifically for this group to achieve tangible outcomes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:12:07Z |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:12:07Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Children |
| spelling | doaj.art-dc53c0d65ecd477ca1166c32a13000282023-11-18T18:50:32ZengMDPI AGChildren2227-90672023-07-01107126110.3390/children10071261Assessment of Diet Quality in Children and Adolescents with Overweight or Obesity in GreeceOdysseas Androutsos0Thomas Tsiampalis1Matina Kouvari2Maria Manou3Maria Dimopoulou4Alexandra Georgiou5Rena I. Kosti6Evangelia Charmandari7Laboratory of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Thessaly, 42132 Trikala, GreeceLaboratory of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Thessaly, 42132 Trikala, GreeceDepartment of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Science and Education, Harokopio University, 17671 Athens, GreeceDivision of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes, First Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, ‘Aghia Sophia’ Children’s Hospital, 11527 Athens, GreeceLaboratory of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Thessaly, 42132 Trikala, GreeceDivision of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes, First Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, ‘Aghia Sophia’ Children’s Hospital, 11527 Athens, GreeceLaboratory of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Thessaly, 42132 Trikala, GreeceDivision of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes, First Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, ‘Aghia Sophia’ Children’s Hospital, 11527 Athens, GreeceThe adoption of healthy nutritional habits constitutes one of the most important determinants of healthy growth and development in childhood. Few studies in Greece have examined children’s diet quality using diet indices. The present study aimed to assess the diet quality of a large cohort of children and adolescents with overweight or obesity. Study participants (<i>n</i> = 1335), aged 2–18, were recruited through the Out-patient Clinic for the Prevention and Management of Overweight and Obesity in Childhood and Adolescence, Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital, Athens, Greece. Anthropometric, socio-demographic, and behavioral data were collected using standard methods and equipment. The Diet Quality Index (DQI), which includes four subcomponents (i.e., dietary diversity, dietary quality, dietary equilibrium, and meal index), was calculated to assess each subject’s diet quality. According to the results of this study, children’s total DQI score was 63.1%. It was observed that 66.7% of the children had at least moderate diet quality (total DQI ≥ 59.34%). Boys had higher values of the total DQI and certain components of the DQI (i.e., dietary equilibrium score and meal index) compared to girls. Three out of ten children with overweight/obesity had poor diet quality (i.e., DQI ≤ 59.33). Younger children (2–5 years old) were found to have the lowest values of dietary equilibrium compared to older children (6–9 and 12–18 years old). Moreover, boys had higher values of the total DQI score and of specific components of this index (i.e., dietary equilibrium and meal index) compared to girls. Children living in urban areas had higher values in the dietary quality score compared to those living in rural areas. Children with overweight had higher values of the dietary quality score and the total DQI score compared to children with obesity. The present study highlighted that children and adolescents with overweight or obesity have poor diet quality. Multilevel and higher intensity interventions should be designed specifically for this group to achieve tangible outcomes.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/10/7/1261obesitydiet qualitynutritionchildrenadolescents |
| spellingShingle | Odysseas Androutsos Thomas Tsiampalis Matina Kouvari Maria Manou Maria Dimopoulou Alexandra Georgiou Rena I. Kosti Evangelia Charmandari Assessment of Diet Quality in Children and Adolescents with Overweight or Obesity in Greece Children obesity diet quality nutrition children adolescents |
| title | Assessment of Diet Quality in Children and Adolescents with Overweight or Obesity in Greece |
| title_full | Assessment of Diet Quality in Children and Adolescents with Overweight or Obesity in Greece |
| title_fullStr | Assessment of Diet Quality in Children and Adolescents with Overweight or Obesity in Greece |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment of Diet Quality in Children and Adolescents with Overweight or Obesity in Greece |
| title_short | Assessment of Diet Quality in Children and Adolescents with Overweight or Obesity in Greece |
| title_sort | assessment of diet quality in children and adolescents with overweight or obesity in greece |
| topic | obesity diet quality nutrition children adolescents |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/10/7/1261 |
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