Digital Media Use in Association with Sensory Taste Preferences in European Children and Adolescents-Results from the I.Family Study

Association of ability to rank sweet and fat taste intensities with sweet and fat food propensity ratios of children, adolescents and adults: the I.Family study

PURPOSE

It is assumed that sensory taste perception shapes food choices and impacts dietary intake. However, this has rarely been studied in free living subjects of different age-groups with standardised methods. The present study investigated the association of the ability to rank sweet and fat taste intensities with consumption frequency of sweet and fatty foods in children, adolescents and adults from eight European countries.

METHODS

In total, 461 children, 421 adolescents and 612 adults from the IDEFICS/I.Family cohort participated in sensory sweet and fat intensity rating tests. Sweet and fatty food consumption frequencies were assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. The association between the ability to rank sweet and fat intensity with sweet and fatty food consumption frequencies was estimated using linear mixed regression models adjusting for weight status, country, sex, age and family affiliation.

RESULTS

Across all age groups, the largest proportion of participants had medium sweet and fat taste intensity ranking abilities. The next largest proportion had low sweet and fat taste intensity rating abilities, while the smallest proportion had high intensity rating abilities to sweet and fat taste. A negative association of sweet and fat taste intensity ranking ability with sweet and fatty food consumption frequencies was found for children. In adolescents, the association was positive. In adults, there was no association.

CONCLUSION

It seems that the association of taste intensity ratings with food consumption frequencies during adolescence differs from the associations in children and adults. This could be due to hormonal changes during puberty, growth and maturation. Thus, further research focussing on maturation processes in association with taste perception during adolescence may be required.

Longitudinal associations between vitamin D status and biomarkers of inflammation in a pan-European cohort of children and adolescents

PURPOSE

To investigate longitudinal associations between the vitamin D status and inflammatory markers in children and adolescents.

METHODS

Children from eight European countries from the IDEFICS/I.Family cohort with repeated measurements were included in this study. A linear mixed-effect model was used to model the association of serum 25(OH)D as independent variable and z-scores of inflammatory markers [CRP, cytokines, adipokines, combined inflammation score] as dependent variables, where one level accounts for differences between individuals and the other for changes over age within individuals.

RESULTS

A total of 1,582 children were included in the study. In the adjusted model, 25(OH)D levels were positively associated with adiponectin (β = 0.11 [95% CI 0.07; 0.16]) and negatively with the inflammation score (β = - 0.24 [95% CI - 0.40; - 0.08]) indicating that the adiponectin z-score increased by 0.11 units and the inflammation score decreased by 0.24 units per 12.5 nmol/l increase in 25(OH)D. In children with overweight or obesity, only a positive association between 25(OH)D and IP-10 was observed while in children with normal weight adiponectin was positively and the inflammation score was negatively associated. Associations of vitamin D with adiponectin and the inflammation score were stronger in girls than in boys and a positive association with TNF-α was observed only in girls.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that an increase in vitamin D concentrations may help to regulate inflammatory biomarkers. However, it seems to be no benefit of a better vitamin D status in children with overweight/obesity unless their weight is managed to achieve an improved inflammatory marker status.

Understanding and Exploring the Food Preferences of Filipino School-Aged Children Through Free Drawing as a Projective Technique

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Numerous traditional and innovative approaches have been employed to understand and evaluate children's food preferences and food and nutrition knowledge, recognizing their essential role in shaping good nutrition. Drawing as a projective technique allows children to express their unconscious thoughts and preferences through visual representation, distinguishing it from other methods by providing an insight into their inner feelings and perceptions that may not be easily articulated through verbal techniques. The main goals of the study are to use drawing as a projective technique to gain insights into children's food preferences, and to examine the children's current nutrition knowledge and dietary perceptions.

METHODS

This study involved school-aged children from four public schools in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija, Philippines, who met the inclusion criteria and provided parental consent and the children's permission. Data collection included (a) questionnaires to measure food group and food frequency knowledge, the children's opinions on food healthiness and likability, and (b) a drawing activity as a projective technique. The questionnaire scores and the specific foods on the children's drawings were entered into an electronic worksheet and analyzed quantitatively.

RESULTS

The majority of Filipino school-aged children have a low (50%) to average (43%) level of food group knowledge and an average (62%) to low (32%) level of food frequency knowledge. The children can identify the healthiness of the food, but they express a liking for both healthy and unhealthy options. The children's drawings showed a low preference for Glow food groups, including fruits and vegetables (47%), as compared to Grow foods (94%), Beverages (89%), and Go foods (85%) groups. "Rice and Egg", the most paired items, indicated a preference among Filipino children. Gender-based analysis showed girls favored "Ice Cream", "Bread", "Apple", and "Oranges" more than boys, but there were no significant gender differences found in Grow food group preferences.

CONCLUSIONS

Children's drawings are an effective, valuable complementary tool for understanding children's food preferences, displaying the value of creative methods in gaining unique insights. The results highlight specific gaps in knowledge, such as the need for a better understanding of food groups and the importance of fruits and vegetables among children. Addressing these gaps in educational programs could enhance children's food knowledge and encourage healthier dietary choices. Nutrition education programs might use interactive activities focused on food groups and emphasize the benefits of fruits and vegetables to promote better dietary habits for the improvement of children's long-term health outcomes.

[Consequences of digital media on the health of children and adolescents with a focus on the consumption of unhealthy foods]

Children and adolescents' media time has increased since 2019. Prolonged time spent with media and media multitasking is increasingly being discussed as a health determinant. This narrative review highlights the importance of media time on the development of obesity and metabolic disorders in children and adolescents and discusses in more detail the associations with consumption of unhealthy foods and increased exposure to media food marketing.The prolonged durations that children and adolescents spend with social and digital media in their leisure time are positively related to sensory taste preferences for sweet, fatty, and salty foods as well as to higher snack food and energy intakes. Moreover, prolonged media time is also associated with a long-term increased risk of metabolic syndrome and its single components. The potential of social media for promoting physical activity and healthy eating lies especially in simplifying the inclusion of otherwise hard-to-reach groups. Further, social media may facilitate social support from peers and thus positively influence the well-being of young users.Particularly against the background of the not yet fully developed cognitive abilities of children and adolescents, the article refers to options for action to protect young media users. Exposure to certain social media content appears to negatively relate to children and adolescents' food choices and eating behaviors, supporting the call to regulate advertising directed at young consumers for foods and beverages that do not meet WHO criteria for child-friendly foods in these media.

Digital media exposure and cognitive functioning in European children and adolescents of the I.Family study

The digital environment can pose health risks through exposure to unhealthy content. Yet, little is known about its relation to children's cognitive functioning. This study investigates the association between digital media (DM) exposure and children's cognitive functioning. This cross-sectional study is based on examinations of children aged 8-18 years (N = 8673) of the I.Family cohort (2013-2014). Exposure to television, computer, smartphone and internet was self-reported (hours/day). Media multitasking (MMT) was defined as simultaneous use of computers with other digital or non-screen-based activities. Standard instruments were used to assess cognitive inflexibility (score: 0-39), decision-making ability (- 100 to + 100) and impulsivity (12-48). Adjusted regression coefficients and 99.9%CIs were calculated by generalized linear mixed-effects models. In total, 3261 participants provided data for impulsivity, 3441 for cognitive inflexibility and 4046 for decision-making. Exposure to smartphones and media multitasking were positively associated with impulsivity (βsmartphone = 0.74; 99.9%CI = 0.42-1.07; βMMT = 0.73; 99.9%CI = 0.35-1.12) and cognitive inflexibility (βsmartphone = 0.32; 99.9%CI = -0.02-0.66; βMMT = 0.39; 99.9%CI = 0.01-0.77) while being inversely associated with decision-making ability. Extensive smartphone/internet exposure combined with low computer/medium TV exposure was associated with higher impulsivity and cognitive inflexibility scores, especially in girls. DM exposure is adversely associated with cognitive functioning in children and adolescents. Children require protection against the likely adverse impact of digital environment.

The Impact of Mandatory Food-Marketing Regulations on Purchase and Exposure: A Narrative Review

(1) Background: Several governments have enforced a series of actions to improve the local food environment and reduce obesity-related diseases in the population by implementing statutory regulations to reduce or ban the marketing of products that are considered unhealthy based on nutrient profile systems or them being high in fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS); (2) Objective: This narrative review is aiming to provide a comprehensive exploration of the available evidence on the impact of identified mandatory regulations restricting food marketing, including advertisements and packages on the exposure and purchase of HFSS food products, to help justify the need for these regulations; (3) Methods: Articles were retrieved by searching electronic databases, including EBSCO Education, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar from 2012 up to December 2022; (4) Results: A total of 12 articles were included in this review. Almost all mandatory food-marketing regulations have evidence in favor of reducing HFSS food purchases and exposure; (5) Conclusions: Protecting children and adolescents from food and beverage marketing through mandatory regulations is a crucial step toward tackling global childhood and adolescent obesity and securing a healthier environment for future generations.

Do Peers Matter? Unhealthy Food and Beverages Preferences among Children in a Selected Rural Province in China

With the growing problem of childhood obesity, unhealthy dietary preferences among children have become an issue of worldwide concern. This article examines the class-peer effect of these preferences using random class assignment data from a field survey. The results show significant positive peer effects for both unhealthy food and beverages preference. These results remained robust after controlling for endogeneity issues using instrumental variables. Further analysis of the mechanism of peer effect shows that the better the relationship between classmates, the greater the influence peers have on unhealthy diet preferences among rural children. The same peer effect is found in situations where it is easy for children to obtain unhealthy food and beverages. The analysis of heterogeneity finds that the peer effects of unhealthy dietary preferences are stronger for girls, older students, and obese students. This paper also discusses the role of parents and schools in mitigating the peer effect. This paper proposes policy recommendations for rural areas in China to improve dietary preferences in children. These results may also provide useful guidelines for policy in other developing countries.

Modern pied pipers: Child social media influencers and junk food on YouTube: A study from Germany

Kid influencers (under the age of 13) have profiles on social media platforms and create content to generate views and engagements. To reach young consumers, food companies are increasingly using kid influencers, perceived as highly trustworthy among children of the same age, to promote their (high-calorie) food products. Exposure to such content can lead to an increase in calorie intake. Therefore, this study aimed to identify which foods and beverages are featured in the videos of the four kid influencer channels most popular in Germany and, if possible, which Nutri-Score category these products receive. Of each channel, 50 of the most popular and 50 of the newest videos were analyzed regarding the food and beverage products and brands appearing in the video and the thumbnail. To analyze the number of appearances, each product was categorized as to whether it was branded or unbranded. Where possible, the Nutri-Score was then calculated for each product that appeared. Within the total video sample (N = 373), food and/or beverages appeared in almost 70% of the videos, of which 220 were branded and 178 were unbranded products. Due to incomplete nutrition labels of branded products, only 146 branded products could be analyzed, from which 66% received the worst Nutri-Score categories D and E. The unbranded foods were evaluated using products as similar as possible, of which the majority received Nutri-Score A. The most common brands included McDonald's, Kinder, and Coca-Cola, and the most frequent product categories were chocolate, candy, soft drinks, and fruit. The high number of high-calorie products in the videos shows that kid influencers might be regarded as a risk factor when it comes to childhood obesity.

Smartphone usage and dietary habits associated with sugar-sweetened beverages preferences among Indonesian female university students

High sugary beverages have recently gained popularity among young adults. This research aimed to determine the association between smartphone usage and dietary consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages among young female adults in Indonesia. This cross-sectional study conducted an online survey in Malang City. There were 217 female university students aged 18-25 years old who were eligible as participants. The dependent variable was a preference for SSBs consumption, while the independent variables included sociodemographics, BMI, food allergies, smartphone usage, and dietary habits. Chi-square and binary logistics were used to analyse the association between independent variables and SSBs. The results showed that 62.2% of respondents preferred to consume SSBs, and 12.9% of participants were classified as overnutrition (BMI>25). More than half of the respondents had breakfast every day, and a majority of them like to consume high carbohydrates (96.8%) and high-sugar snacks (55.3%). The binary logistic regression showed an association between BMI status, breakfast consumption, watching movies, and eating frequency with high sugar beverage consumption preference (p<0.05). Reducing sugar beverages consumption intervention should consider using media accessible with smartphone.

Social Media and Children's and Adolescents' Diets: A Systematic Review of the Underlying Social and Physiological Mechanisms

The association between social media (SM) and children's and adolescents' diet is poorly understood. This systematic literature review aims to explore the role of SM in children's and adolescents' diets and related behaviors, considering also the underlying mechanisms. We searched Medline, Scopus, and CINAHL (2008-December 2021) for studies assessing the relation of SM exposure with food intake, food preference, dietary behaviors, and the underlying mechanisms (e.g., brain activation to digital food images-as proxy for SM food images) among healthy children and adolescents aged 2-18 y. A total of 35 articles were included. Of 4 studies, 1 found that exposure to peers' videos on healthy eating, but not SM influencers', increased vegetable intake. Most studies reported that SM was associated with skipping breakfast, increased intake of unhealthy snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages, and lower fruit and vegetable intake, independent of age. Children and adolescents exposed to unhealthy compared with healthy digital food images showed increased brain response in reward- and attention-related regions. The mechanisms underpinning the abovementioned associations were 1) physiological (appetitive state, increased neural response to portion size and energy density of food depicted) and 2) social (food advertising via SM influencers and peers). SM exposure leads to unfavorable eating patterns both in children and adolescents. The identified mechanisms may help tailor future health interventions. Downregulating SM advertising and limiting SM exposure to children and adolescents may improve food intake and subsequent health outcomes. The protocol of this review was registered in PROSPERO as CRD42020213977 (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/).

Nutritional Behaviors, Health Literacy, and Health Locus of Control of Secondary Schoolers in Southern Poland: A Cross-Sectional Study

Nutritional behaviors remain an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. It seems obvious that unfavorable health behaviors adopted in adolescence are maintained late in adulthood and may have a profound effect on health status. The main aim of this study was to assess the association between nutritional behaviors and health literacy (HL), health locus of control (HLC), and socioeconomic variables in secondary school pupils from a voivodship (the main unit of territorial division) in southern Poland. The analysis was based on dataTable from a paper-and-pencil survey taken by 2223 pupils from schools selected as the result of cluster sampling. The survey questionnaire encompassed a set of five items asking about dietary patterns and the consumption of fruit and vegetables as well as fast food, a European Health Literacy Project Questionnaire consisting of 47 items, the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) scale, and items asking about sociodemographic and economic variables. Uni- and multivariate logistic regression models have been developed to assess the predictors of indicator nutrition behaviors. The adjusted models revealed that internal HLC was not significantly associated with any of analyzed nutritional behaviors. “Powerful other HLC” and “Chance HLC” (dimension of external HLC) were significant predictors of the selected dietary patterns. Furthermore, higher HL was associated with higher consumption of fruit and vegetables [odds ratio, 95% confidence interval (OR, 95% CI)]: 1.02 (1.01–1.04) and with lower consumption of fast food (OR, 95% CI, 0.98, 0.95–0.999). There was a significant relationship between gender, the size of the household, self-assessed economic situation, expenditures on mobile phones, and weekly duration of Internet use and selected nutrition behaviors. In conclusion, developed regression models confirmed a significant relationship between HL and the types of consumed food, but not with dieting patterns. Contrary to earlier studies, internal HLC was not associated with nutrition behaviors. In our study, boys showed more favorable nutritional behaviors than girls. More intense use of the Internet was associated with less beneficial nutritional behaviors. This study brings important results that should have an impact on health promotion interventions addressed to adolescents in southern Poland.