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Nutrition during the early life cycle

Dietary patterns in middle childhood and behavior problems in adolescence

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 75, pages 1809–1818 (2021)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/objectives

Adherence to a “Western” style dietary pattern has been related to behavior problems in children in high-income countries; however, dietary patterns may differ in countries undergoing the nutrition transition. Associations of dietary patterns with behavior problems in a Latin American context have not been evaluated.

Subjects/Methods

Mothers of 385 children 5 to 12 y old completed a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) on the children’s usual intake at enrollment into a cohort study. Four dietary patterns were identified through principal component analysis of the FFQ: animal protein, snacking, cheaper protein, and traditional/starch. After a median 6 y follow-up, adolescents reported behavior problems via the Youth Self Report, a standardized questionnaire. We compared the continuous distributions of externalizing and internalizing behavior problems and their subscales across quartiles of adherence to the four dietary patterns using multivariable linear regression.

Results

Boys in the highest quartile of adherence to the animal protein pattern in middle childhood had an adjusted 5.5 units lower (95% CI −9.5, −1.5) mean total externalizing problems score compared with boys in the lowest quartile (P trend = 0.008). Adherence to the animal protein pattern was also inversely related to the aggressive behavior externalizing subscale in a dose–response manner among boys (P trend = 0.009). There were no associations between adherence to other dietary patterns and externalizing problems in boys or girls. There were no associations with internalizing problems.

Conclusion

Adherence to an animal protein dietary pattern in middle childhood was associated with less externalizing behavior problems in adolescent boys.

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Funding

This work was supported by the ASISA Research Fund at the University of Michigan

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

    Sonia L. Robinson & Eduardo Villamor

  2. Foundation for Research in Nutrition and Health, Bogotá, Colombia

    Mercedes Mora-Plazas

  3. Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Sabana, Chía, Colombia

    Henry Oliveros & Constanza Marin

  4. Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

    Betsy Lozoff

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  1. Sonia L. Robinson
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Contributions

EV designed the research, MMP, HO, and CM conducted the research and provided critical revisions to the manuscript, BL provided essential materials, assisted with interpretation of the findings, and provided critical revisions to the manuscript, SLR performed the statistical analysis, and SLR and EV wrote the paper and had primary responsibility for the final content. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Eduardo Villamor.

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Robinson, S.L., Mora-Plazas, M., Oliveros, H. et al. Dietary patterns in middle childhood and behavior problems in adolescence. Eur J Clin Nutr 75, 1809–1818 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-021-00888-4

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