engleski

Intergenerational impact on nutrition status in children

Obesity has become one of the major public health problems of the modern world because of its high prevalence and both direct and indirect effects on the development of associated chronic diseases. The prevalence of obesity is steadily increasing in adults as well as in children and adolescents in both industrialized and developing countries. In addition, there is a growing problem of feeding disorders, especially in girls. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of the nutritional status of parents, grandfathers and grandmothers on the nutritional status of children.The study included 635 healthy children of both sexes aged 7 and 330 children aged 11 from Trogir, Croatia. Nutritional status of the children and their parents, grandfathers and grandmothers was determined by body mass index (BMI, kg/m2). In boys and girls aged 7, BMI correlated with maternal BMI and maternal grandmother BMI. In girls aged 11, BMI correlated with maternal BMI (P=0.003) and paternal BMI (P=0.004). In boys aged 11, BMI correlated with maternal and paternal BMI (P<0.001 both), and maternal grandmother BMI (P=0.006).Due to limited options in the management of obesity in children and adolescents, efficient prevention is of utmost importance. The efficiency of preventive programs is limited, imposing the risk of switch to the other extreme associated with development of feeding disorders. Risk factors include the impact of parental, especially maternal obesity on obesity in children. Our study pointed to the impact of "third generation", grandmothers in particular, on the nutritional status of their grandchildren. Based on our own ten-year research and literature data, we advocate a holistic, integrated approach in the prevention of obesity and feeding disorders, where parents play the main role, along with grandmothers in traditional settings, influencing dietary habits of their (grand)children.

obesity; overweight; children; adolescents; prevention

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