Birth weight is associated with dietary factors at the age of 6-8 years: the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) study

Objective: Low and high birth weight have been associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes and CVD. Diet could partly mediate this association, e.g. by intra-uterine programming of unhealthy food preferences. We examined the association of birth weight with diet in Finnish children. Design: Birth weight standard deviation score (SDS) was calculated using national birth register data and Finnish references. Dietary factors were assessed using 4 d food records. Diet quality was defined by the Finnish Children Healthy Eating Index (FCHEI). Setting: The Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) study. Subjects: Singleton, full-term children (179 girls, 188 boys) aged 6-8 years. Results: Birth weight was inversely associated (standardized regression coefficient ; 95 % CI) with FCHEI (-0.15; -0.28, -0.03) in all children and in boys (-0.27; -0.45, -0.09) but not in girls (-0.01; -0.21, 0.18) after adjusting for potential confounders (P=0.044 for interaction). Moreover, higher birth weight was associated with lower fruit and berries consumption (-0.13; -0.25, 0.00), higher energy intake (0.17; 0.05, 0.29), higher sucrose intake (0.19; 0.06, 0.32) and lower fibre intake (-0.14; -0.26, -0.01). These associations were statistically non-significant after correction for multiple testing. Children with birth weight >1 SDS had higher sucrose intake (mean; 95 % CI) as a percentage of energy intake (14.3 E%; 12.6, 16.0 E%) than children with birth weight of -1 to 1 SDS (12.8 E%; 11.6, 14.0 E%) or < -1 SDS (12.4 E%; 10.8, 13.9 E %; P=0.036). Conclusions: Higher birth weight may be associated with unhealthy diet in childhood.