1. ¹Department of Pediatrics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
2. ²Department of Clinical Nutrition, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland

Correspondence: M Haapalahti, Department of Pediatrics, University of Oulu, PO Box 5000, FIN-90014 Oulu, Finland. E-mail: mila.haapalahti@uku.fi

Guarantor: Docent Jorma Kokkonen.

Contributors: MH was responsible for the data analysis and wrote the paper together with Professor HM and Docent JK. SH and JK were responsible for the clinical examinations.

Received 11 April 2003; Revised 29 August 2003; Accepted 3 October 2003.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the role of food habits and nutrient intake in children with functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) considering their association with psychosocial factors.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: A rural town in Mid-Western Finland.

Subjects: After excluding organic gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, a total of 49 children with FGID and 78 control children without GI symptoms from a cohort of 422 children were studied.

Methods: Food frequency questionnaire, GI-symptoms questionnaire and the Child Behaviour Check List (CBCL) filled in by parents together with their child, and 24-h dietary recall and anthropometric and haematological measurements.

Results: Compared to control children, fewer children with FGID had daily family dinner (77 vs 91%, P=0.030) and they used less often vegetables (P=0.023), fruits (P=0.027) and berries (P=0.011), but more often ice cream (P=0.018) and soft drinks (P=0.027) and had a higher sucrose intake (9 vs 7E%, P=0.032) and lower lactose intake (27 vs 36 g, P=0.001). Reported food-related symptoms were more common among FGID group (69 vs 11%), as well as restricted milk use (31 vs 0%). Children with FGID had higher total problem scores in CBCL (P=0.002), and the behavioural/emotional problems associated with occurrence of FGID (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.07–1.076) as did the sugar intake (OR 1.1, 95% CI 1.004–1.215).

Conclusions: This population-based study suggests that school-aged children with FGIDs have less-organized food habits and higher milk avoidance, and they display internalizing psychological characteristics.

Sponsorship: Juho Vainio Foundation, Finland; the Alma and K.A. Snellman Foundation, Oulu, and the Pediatric Research Foundation, Finland.