Mediation of parental educational level on fruit and vegetable intake among schoolchildren in ten European countries.

OBJECTIVE: To examine which factors act as mediators between parental educational level and children's fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake in ten European countries. DESIGN: Cross-sectional data were collected in ten European countries participating in the PRO GREENS project (2009). Schoolchildren completed a validated FFQ about their daily F&V intake and filled in a questionnaire about availability of F&V at home, parental facilitation of F&V intake, knowledge of recommendations about F&V intake, self-efficacy to eat F&V and liking for F&V. Parental educational level was determined from a questionnaire given to parents. The associations were examined with multilevel mediation analyses. SETTING: Schools in Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden. SUBJECTS: Eleven-year-old children (n 8159, response rate 72%) and their parents. RESULTS: In five of the ten countries, children with higher educated parents were more likely to report eating fruits daily. This association was mainly mediated by knowledge but self-efficacy, liking, availability and facilitation also acted as mediators in some countries. Parents' education was positively associated with their children's daily vegetable intake in seven countries, with knowledge and availability being the strongest mediators and self-efficacy and liking acting as mediators to some degree. CONCLUSIONS: Parental educational level correlated positively with children's daily F&V intake in most countries and the pattern of mediation varied among the participating countries. Future intervention studies that endeavour to decrease the educational-level differences in F&V intake should take into account country-specific features in the relevant determinants of F&V intake.

Does eating family meals and having the television on during dinner correlate with overweight? A sub-study of the PRO GREENS project, looking at children from nine European countries.

OBJECTIVE: Family meals have been negatively associated with overweight in children, while television (TV) viewing during meals has been associated with a poorer diet. The aim of the present study was to assess the association of eating family breakfast and dinner, and having a TV on during dinner, with overweight in nine European countries and whether these associations differed between Northern and Southern & Eastern Europe. DESIGN: Cross-sectional data. Schoolchildren reported family meals and TV viewing. BMI was based on parental reports on height and weight of their children. Cut-off points for overweight by the International Obesity Task Force were used. Logistic regressions were performed adjusted by age, gender and parental education. SETTING: Schools in Northern European (Sweden, the Netherlands, Iceland, Germany and Finland) and Southern & Eastern European (Portugal, Greece, Bulgaria and Slovenia) countries, participating in the PRO GREENS project. SUBJECTS: Children aged 10-12 years in (n 6316). RESULTS: In the sample, 21 % of the children were overweight, from 35 % in Greece to 10 % in the Netherlands. Only a few associations were found between family meals and TV viewing during dinner with overweight in the nine countries. Northern European children, compared with other regions, were significantly more likely to be overweight if they had fewer family breakfasts and more often viewed TV during dinner. CONCLUSIONS: The associations between family meals and TV viewing during dinner with overweight were few and showed significance only in Northern Europe. Differences in foods consumed during family meals and in health-related lifestyles between Northern and Southern & Eastern Europe may explain these discrepancies.

Food intake in Slovenian adolescents and adherence to the Optimized Mixed Diet: a nationally representative study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the food intake of Slovenian adolescents and to compare it with food-based dietary guidelines developed for children and adolescents, named the Optimized Mixed Diet (OMD). The OMD is a useful tool for the evaluation of food intake of adolescents. DESIGN: All adolescents completed an FFQ at a regional health centre; a subgroup also completed a 3 d weighed dietary protocol at home. SETTING: This study is a part of the first national representative study on the dietary habits of Slovenian adolescents. SUBJECTS: This cross-sectional study included a representative sample of 2813 Slovenian adolescents entering high school, aged 14-17 years, from all ten geographical regions of Slovenia. RESULTS: The greatest deviations from the recommended intakes of the main food groups in the OMD were significantly lower intakes of (P < 0·001, mean): vegetables (179 and 163 g/d in boys and girls, respectively), bread/cereals (271 and 226 g/d), potatoes/rice/pasta (212 and 163 g/d); in boys also a significantly lower intake of fruits (mean: 321 g/d, P < 0·001) and a significantly higher intake of meat/meat products (mean: 126 g/d, P < 0·001). Additionally, the results show too high intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and too low intakes of fish and plant oils in both genders. CONCLUSIONS: The food intake pattern of Slovenian adolescents deviates markedly from a healthy eating pattern. Nutrition education and interventions are needed for Slovenian adolescents.

Salt intake of the Slovene population assessed by 24 h urinary sodium excretion.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate average sodium excretion in 24 h urine as a marker for salt intake in the Slovene population. DESIGN: Salt intake was determined by measuring sodium excretion in 24 h urine collected from a representative sample of geographically diverse Slovene adults. SETTING: Slovenia. SUBJECTS: A random sample of 600 adults aged 25-65 years was generated from census data. The effective sample yield was 143 people, 42·7 % men and 57·3 % women. RESULTS: Urinary sodium excretion was significantly higher in men (220·9 (sd 86·0) mmol Na/d) than in women (169·8 (sd 73·8) mmol Na/d); t test = 14·5, P < 0·001. Average salt intake was 11·3 (sd 4·9) g/d, higher in men than in women (13·0 (sd 5·1) v. 9·9 (sd 4·3) g/d, respectively). Average intakes of salt among regions were not significantly different. Salt intake increases slightly with increasing age, but there was no significant correlation between age and salt intake. Salt intake was increased with BMI (r = 0·384, P < 0·001). CONCLUSIONS: Salt intake in Slovene adults, especially in men, exceeds the WHO recommended population nutrient intake goal of 5 g by more than twofold. A national programme for reducing salt intake in Slovenia needs to be implemented through systematic efforts including public education and involving the health-care sector and the food industry.