Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Dietary factors and their associations with socioeconomic background in Finnish girls and boys 6–8 years of age: the PANIC Study

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 65, pages 1211–1218 (2011)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

To study nutrient intake, food consumption and meal pattern, and their associations with socioeconomic background in Finnish children.

Subjects/Methods:

The subjects were a population sample of 424 children (211 girls, 213 boys) 6–8 years of age. Nutrient intake and meal pattern were measured by food records, and food intake and socioeconomic characteristics were assessed by questionnaires.

Results:

Intakes of saturated fat, sucrose and salt were higher, and intakes of vitamin D, iron and fibre and unsaturated-to-saturated fat ratio lower than recommended. Less than 5% of children consumed vegetables, fruit and berries as recommended. Children with highest parental education more likely ate fish (odds ratio (OR) 2.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06–4.54), fibre-rich bread (OR 5.06, 95% CI 1.80–14.29) and main meals (OR 2.54, 95% CI 1.34–4.83), but less likely used soft margarine (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.20–0.94) as recommended than children with lowest parental education. Children with highest household income more likely consumed skimmed milk (OR 2.43, 95% CI 1.21–4.88) and fish (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.12–4.36) as recommended than children with lowest household income. Only 34% of girls and 45% of boys ate all main meals daily. Snacks provided as much as 42% of total energy intake.

Conclusions:

Children do not meet recommendations in all important nutrients. Children from lowest socioeconomic position least likely consumed fish, skimmed milk and fibre-rich bread and ate main meals, but most likely used soft margarine as recommended. Less than half of children ate all main meals daily.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams J, O'Keeffe M, Adamson A (2005). Change in snacking habits and obesity over 20 years in children aged 11 to 12 years. Project code NO9019. Final report to Food Standards Agency. http://www.foodbase.org.uk//admintools/reportdocuments/86_140_N09019_Final_report_FSA_amended_accepted.pdf.

  • Buzzard M (1998). 24-h dietary recall and food record methods. In: Willett W (ed). Nutritional Epidemiology. Oxford University Press: New York, pp 50–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Croezen S, Visscher TL, Ter Bogt NC, Veling ML, Haveman-Nies A (2009). Skipping breakfast, alcohol consumption and physical inactivity as risk factors for overweight and obesity in adolescents: results of the E-MOVO project. Eur J Clin Nutr 63, 405–412.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Erkkilä A, de Mello VD, Risérus U, Laaksonen DE (2008). Dietary fatty acids and cardiovascular disease: an epidemiological approach. Prog Lipid Res 47, 172–187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Erkkola M, Kronberg-Kippilä C, Kyttälä P, Lehtisalo J, Reinivuo H, Tapanainen H et al. (2009). Sucrose in the diet of 3-year-old Finnish children: sources, determinants and impact on food and nutrient intake. Br J Nutr 101, 1209–1217.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Haapalahti M, Mykkänen H, Tikkanen S, Kokkonen J (2003). Meal patterns and food use in 10- to 11-year-old Finnish children. Public Health Nutr 6, 365–370.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hirvonen T, Männistö S, Roos E, Pietinen P (1997). Increasing prevalence of underreporting does not necessarily distort dietary surveys. Eur J Clin Nutr 51, 297–301.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoppu U, Kujala J, Lehtisalo J, Tapanainen H, Pietinen P (eds) (2008). Nutrition and Wellbeing of Secondary School Pupils. Situation and Results of the Intervention Study During Academic Year 2007–2008. Publications of the National Public Health Institute, B30/2008: Helsinki, Finland.

    Google Scholar 

  • King DE (2005). Dietary fiber, inflammation, and cardiovascular disease. Mol Nutr Food Res 25, 594–600.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kyttälä P, Ovaskainen M, Kronberg-Kippilä C, Erkkola M, Tapanainen H, Tuokkola J et al. (2008). The Diet of Finnish Preschoolers. Publications of the National Public Health Institute B32/2008: Helsinki.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laitinen S, Räsänen L, Viikari J, Åkerblom HK (1995). Diet of Finnish children in relation to the family's socio-economic status. Scand J Soc Med 23, 88–94.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Macdiarmid J, Loe J, Craig LC, Masson LF, Holmes B, McNeill G (2009). Meal and snacking patterns of school-aged children in Scotland. Eur J Clin Nutr 63, 1297–1304.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mikkilä V, Räsänen L, Raitakari OT, Pietinen P, Viikari J (2005). Consistent dietary patterns identified from childhood to adulthood: The Cardiovascular Risk in Finns Study. Br J Nutr 93, 923–931.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moreno LA, Rodriguez G (2007). Dietary risk factors for development of childhood obesity. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 10, 336–341.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Nutrition Council (2005). Finnish Nutirition Recommendations. Edita Prima Oy: Helsinki.

  • National Nutrition Council (2008). The Recommendations for School Meals. Savion Kirjapaino Oy: Helsinki. Available in Finnish.

  • Nicklas TA, Bao W, Webber LS, Berenson GS (1993). Breakfast consumption affects adequacy of total daily intake in children. J Am Diet Assoc 93, 886–891.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nordic Council of Ministers (2004). Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2004. Integrating Nutrition and Physical Activity, 4th edn. Nord: Copenhagen, p 13.

  • Rampersaund GC, Pereira MA, Girard BL, Adams J, Metzl JD (2005). Breakfast habits, nutritional status, body weight, and academic performance in children and adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc 105, 743–760.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rastas M, Seppänen R, Knuts LR, Karvetti RL, Varo P (eds) (1993). Nutrient Composition of Foods. Publications of the Social Insurance Institution: Helsinki.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruottinen S, Lagström HK, Niinikoski H, Rönnemaa T, Saarinen M, Pahkala KA et al. (2010). Dietary fiber does not displace energy but is associated with decreased serum cholesterol concentrations in healthy children. Am J Clin Nutr 91, 651–661.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ruottinen S, Niinikoski H, Lagström H, Rönnemaa T, Hakanen M, Viikari J et al. (2008). High sucrose intake is associated with poor quality of diet and growth between 13 months and 9 years of age: the special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project. Pediatrics 121, e1676–e1685.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sjöberg A, Hallberg L, Höglund D, Hulthén L (2003). Meal pattern, food choice, nutrient intake and lifestyle factors in The Göteborg Adolescence Study. Eur J Clin Nutr 57, 1569–1578.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strazzullo P, D'Elia L, Kandala NB, Cappuccio FP (2009). Salt intake, stroke, and cardiovascular disease: meta-analysis of prespective studies. BMJ 339, b4567.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Talvia S, Lagström H, Räsänen M, Salminen M, Räsänen L, Salo P et al. (2004). A randomized intervention since infancy to reduce intake of saturated fat. Calorie (energy) and nutrient intakes up to the age of 10 years in the Special Turku Coronary Factor Intervention Project. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 158, 41–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Torun B, Davies P, Livingstone MBE, Paolisso M, Sackett R, Spurr GB (1996). Energy requirements and dietary energy recommendations for children and adolescents 1 to 18 years old. Eur J Clin Nutr 50 (Suppl 1), S37–S81.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Touger-Decker R, van Loveren C (2003). Sugars and dental caries. Am J Clin Nutr 78, S881–S892.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y, Bentley ME, Zhai F, Popkin BM (2002). Tracking of dietary intake patterns of Chinese from childhood to adolescence over a six-year follow-up period. J Nutr 132, 430–438.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Würbach A, Zellner K, Kromever-Hauschild K (2009). Meal patterns among children and adolescents and their associations with weight status and parental characteristics. Public Health Nutr 12, 1115–1121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank the voluntary subjects and their families who participated in this study. We are also gratefully indebted to the PANIC Study research team members for their skillful contribution in performing the study. This work has been financially supported by grants from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health of Finland, the Ministry of Education of Finland, the University of Kuopio, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Juho Vainio Foundation, the Foundation for Paediatric Research and the Kuopio University Hospital EVO.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland,

    A M Eloranta, V Lindi, S Kiiskinen, M Kalinkin & T A Lakka

  2. Department of Clinical Nutrition, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland,

    U Schwab

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland,

    U Schwab

  4. Department of Public Health, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland,

    H M Lakka

Authors
  1. A M Eloranta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. V Lindi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. U Schwab
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. S Kiiskinen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. M Kalinkin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. H M Lakka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. T A Lakka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to T A Lakka.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Eloranta, A., Lindi, V., Schwab, U. et al. Dietary factors and their associations with socioeconomic background in Finnish girls and boys 6–8 years of age: the PANIC Study. Eur J Clin Nutr 65, 1211–1218 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2011.113

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2011.113

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links