Eating Habits and their Associations with Obesity and Underweight in Preschool Children

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 National Nutrition Institute (NNI), Cairo Egypt

2 Nutrition and food science department, Home economic faculty, Helwan university, Cairo, Egypt

3 National Nutrition Institute (NNI),Cairo, Egypt

4 Nutritional chemistry and metabolism department , National Nutrition Institute (NNI), Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

<The defective nutritional habits remains a serious problem of children under five years of age. Bad dietary intake causes malnutrition, which leads to many complications. This study amid to give information about diet quality of underweight and obesity of some Egyptian preschool children. The study was purposed as included (60) preschooler aged 2-<6 years old, with a turbulent linear growth, randomly selected from the outpatient clinic of National Nutrition Institute (NNI) and (30) healthy case in the same age and sex as a control group. All participants were subjected to the baseline assessment (dietary intake including “Twenty four-hour recall “method and “food frequency questionnaire’; anthropometric measurements including weight and height; lab investigation including hemoglobin, serum TSH, T4, T3و vitamin A, and D, concentration. Results showed that mean weight for age Z score is significantly lower among the underweight and higher of obese than the control group. Dietary intake analysis showed that mean intake of all macronutrients was the highest in obesity while micronutrients was lower in both malnutrition groups compared to the control group. All blood values of Hb, TSH, T3, and vitamins A or D were lower among the two malnutrition groups and control group. T4 was higher in underweight group than other groups. Conclusion, it seemed that dietary intake deficiency of several nutrients of malnutrition children intake might play an important role of their growth. Preventive strategies to protect against malnutrition and promote healthy eating consumption recommended.>

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