Original Article
International Journal of Obesity (2006) 30, 176–182. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0803072; published online 13 September 2005
Dietary pattern as a predictor of change in BMI z-score among girls
O M Thompson1, C Ballew2, K Resnicow3, C Gillespie4, A Must5, L G Bandini6,7, H Cyr8 and W H Dietz4
- 1Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- 2Alaska Native Epidemiology Center, Anchorage, AK, USA
- 3Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- 4Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
- 5Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- 6Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- 7Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, UMASS Medical School, Waltham, MA, USA
- 8Clinical Research Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
Correspondence: Ms OM Thompson, Nutritional Sciences Department, University of Washington, 305 Raitt Hall, Box 353410, Seattle, WA 98195, USA E-mail: omt@u.washington.edu
Received 7 January 2005; Revised 25 May 2005; Accepted 3 July 2005; Published online 13 September 2005.
Abstract
Objectives:
To describe child and adolescent dietary patterns and to determine associations between childhood dietary pattern and longitudinal change in body mass index (BMI) z-score among girls.
Population and methods:
Healthy girls (n=101) aged 8–12 years at baseline and 11–19 years at follow-up participated in a longitudinal study of growth and development. Participants kept 7-day dietary records at two points in time. We incorporated time of day, frequency, and amount of energy consumed (defined as percentage of total energy consumed per dietary event) when characterizing dietary patterns.
Results:
Girls ate an average of 4–5 times per day and consumed most energy in the afternoon and in the evening/night, rather than in the morning. After controlling for baseline BMI, the mean percentage of daily energy consumed in the evening/night was positively associated with change in BMI z-score (P=0.039). Eating between 4.0 and 5.9 times per day overall and no more than 1.9 times in the evening/night daily were negatively associated with change in BMI z-score (P=0.002 and 0.047, respectively), after controlling for baseline BMI z-score.
Discussion:
Recommendations to decrease the percentage of energy coming from the evening/night meal and the number of dietary events to no more than six times per day and two times in the evening/night should be evaluated in future longitudinal investigations.
Keywords:
dietary pattern, BMI, overweight, child, adolescent
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