In the Netherlands and many other high-income countries, the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity is unequally distributed among ethnicity and socioeconomic position (SEP).
In her doctoral research at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Viyan Rashid used longitudinal data from the ABCD study to examine how children’s dietary patterns are associated with ethnicity, socioeconomic position, BMI, and body composition. She recently earned her PhD based on this work.
Her findings show that eating behaviors in early childhood are closely connected to the social and physical environments in which children grow up. While five-year-olds display a variety of dietary patterns, many do not meet established nutritional guidelines.
Key findings include:
- Unhealthy eating patterns are more common among children from socioeconomically vulnerable families. Maternal education level appears to be a key factor.
- The relationship between dietary patterns and weight gain is complex and sometimes counterintuitive.
- The neighborhood food environment plays an important role in shaping children’s dietary choices.
The study highlights the importance of promoting healthy eating habits and healthy weight development early in life, particularly among children in vulnerable situations. It also calls for greater attention to healthier food environments and further research into the complex relationship between diet and weight.
By leveraging long-term cohort data from the ABCD study, this research demonstrates how cohort infrastructures within ACH contribute to evidence-based public health policy and prevention strategies.
Read the full dissertation here: Dietary patterns in children: Associations with ethnicity, socioeconomic position, BMI and body composition - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam