Food consumption pattern and excess weight in preschoolers: a cross-sectional study

Background and objectives: children's food-related lifestyle brought changes in their weight status and eating patterns. We aimed to investigate the association between food consumption pattern and excess weight in preschoolers aged six. Methods: a cross-sectional analysis of a prospective birth cohort, in 2004, in Feira de Santana-BA. Food consumption frequency was verified, characterized by patterns and established through a food frequency questionnaire, validated in a previous study, in pattern 1: milk, vegetables, cereals, legumes, fruits and fish; pattern 2: snacks, soda/artificial juice, oils, sweets and coffee/tea; pattern 3: sausages, fast food, ketchup/mayonnaise and egg; pattern 4: red meat and chicken. Excess weight was defined according to the World Health Organization criteria. The main association was assessed using Pearson's chi-square test and Poisson regression. Results: a total of 618 children were investigated. Excess weight occurred in 28.6%, and pattern 3 frequency was 68%. In the bivariate analysis, only pattern 3 was associated with children's excess weight (PR: 1.23; 95%CI: 1.01-1.63). In the multivariate analysis, the prevalence of excess weight children who consumed pattern 3 was 50% (adjustedPR: 1.50; 95%CI: 1.01-1.93). Conclusion: moderate/high consumption of sausages, fast food, ketchup/mayonnaise and eggs was associated with excess weight among children in the sample.