Original Article
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2006) 60, 823–827. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602386; published online 1 February 2006
Low-dietary fiber intake as a risk factor for recurrent abdominal pain in children
Guarantors: OMS Amancio and MB de Morais.
Contributors: AZP, OMSA and MBdeM helped in designing and writing up of the study.
A Z Paulo1, O M S Amancio1, M B de Morais1 and K M M D Tabacow2
- 1Department of Pediatrics, Federal University of Sao Paulo/Paulista School of Medicine, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- 2Darcy Vargas Children's Hospital, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Correspondence: Associate Professor OMS Amancio, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Botucatu, 703, CEP 04023-062, Sao Paulo-SP-Brazil. E-mail: omsamancio.dped@epm.br
Received 13 June 2005; Revised 22 November 2005; Accepted 26 November 2005; Published online 1 February 2006.
Abstract
Objective:
To evaluate dietary fiber intake in children with recurrent abdominal pain.
Design:
Cross-sectional study with control group.
Setting:
Outpatients of the Pediatric Gastroenterology public health clinic of the Darcy Vargas Children's Hospital, Brazil.
Subjects:
Forty-one patients with recurrent abdominal pain were evaluated and 41 children, as a control group.
Interventions:
Macronutrients and fiber intake evaluation by the Daily Food Intake method. Two tables of fiber composition in foods were used.
Results:
According to the Brazilian table the mean intake of fiber (g/day) by the children of the recurrent abdominal pain groups with chronic constipation or not, and the control group was, respectively, 18.2, 16.6 and 23.7 for total fiber (P=0.001), 7.5, 6.9 and 9.5 for soluble fiber (P=0.001) and 10.7, 9.7 and 14.1 for insoluble fiber (P=0.002). According to the AOAC table, the recurrent abdominal pain group with chronic constipation or not (10.6 and 9.9 g/day) also had lower intake of total fiber than the control group (13.4 g/day) (P=0.008). The intake of fiber was lower than the minimum recommended value (age+5 g) and statistically associated (P=0.021) with the recurrent abdominal pain group (78%) in comparison with the control one (51.2%). The odds ratio was 3.39 (95% CI, 1.18–9.95).
Conclusion:
fiber intake below the minimum recommended value is a risk factor for recurrent abdominal pain in children.
Keywords:
abdominal pain, child, dietary fiber
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