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Food consumption and nutrient intake of Finnish preschool children according to parental educational level

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2023

Essi Skaffari Open the ORCID record for Essi Skaffari [Opens in a new window] ,
Henna Vepsäläinen Open the ORCID record for Henna Vepsäläinen [Opens in a new window] ,
Kaija Nissinen Open the ORCID record for Kaija Nissinen [Opens in a new window] ,
Elviira Lehto Open the ORCID record for Elviira Lehto [Opens in a new window] ,
Reetta Lehto Open the ORCID record for Reetta Lehto [Opens in a new window] ,
Eva Roos Open the ORCID record for Eva Roos [Opens in a new window] ,
Maijaliisa Erkkola Open the ORCID record for Maijaliisa Erkkola [Opens in a new window]  and
Liisa Korkalo Open the ORCID record for Liisa Korkalo [Opens in a new window]
Essi Skaffari*
Affiliation:
Department of Food and Nutrition, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Henna Vepsäläinen
Affiliation:
Department of Food and Nutrition, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Kaija Nissinen
Affiliation:
Department of Food and Nutrition, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland School of Food and Agriculture, Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences, Seinäjoki, Finland
Elviira Lehto
Affiliation:
Department of Food and Nutrition, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland Department of Sociology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland
Reetta Lehto
Affiliation:
Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland
Eva Roos
Affiliation:
Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland Department of Food Studies, Nutrition and Dietetics, Uppsala Universitet, Uppsala, Sweden Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Maijaliisa Erkkola
Affiliation:
Department of Food and Nutrition, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Liisa Korkalo
Affiliation:
Department of Food and Nutrition, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
*
*Corresponding author: Essi Skaffari, email essi.skaffari@helsinki.fi
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Abstract

We examined the association between parental educational level (PEL) and children’s food consumption and nutrient intake in a sample of Finnish 3- to 6-year-old preschoolers (n 811). The data were obtained from the cross-sectional DAGIS project, conducted in eight municipalities in Finland during 2015–2016. The food consumption and nutrient intake were assessed using food records. The highest educational level of the family was used as the indicator of socio-economic status. Differences in diet by PEL were analysed using a hierarchical linear model adjusted for energy intake. Compared with high PEL, low PEL was associated with a child’s lower consumption of fresh vegetables and salads, vegetarian dishes, berries, white bread, blended spread, skimmed milk and ice cream but higher consumption of milk with 1–1·5 % fat content, dairy-based desserts and sugar-sweetened soft drinks. Food consumption was also examined after disaggregating dishes into their ingredients. Low PEL was associated with lower consumption of vegetables, nuts and seeds, berries and fish but higher consumption of red meat. Children in the low PEL, compared with the high PEL group, had a lower intake of protein, fibre, EPA, DHA, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, vitamin C, potassium, phosphorous, Ca, Mg, Zn and iodine but a higher intake of fat and saturated, trans and MUFA. The observed diet-related disparities highlight the need for policy actions and interventions supporting healthy eating patterns such as high consumption of vegetables, nuts and berries in childhood, paying special attention to those with low PEL.

Keywords

Healthy dietDay careSocio-economic differencesSocio-economic positionInequality
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 131 , Issue 1 , 14 January 2024 , pp. 113 - 122
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society

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