Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake among Chilean Preschoolers and Adolescents in 2016: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Intake of sugar sweetened beverages among children and adolescents in 185 countries between 1990 and 2018: population based study

OBJECTIVE

To quantify global intakes of sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) and trends over time among children and adolescents.

DESIGN

Population based study.

SETTING

Global Dietary Database.

POPULATION

Children and adolescents aged 3-19 years in 185 countries between 1990 and 2018, jointly stratified at subnational level by age, sex, parental education, and rural or urban residence.

RESULTS

In 2018, mean global SSB intake was 3.6 (standardized serving=248 g (8 oz)) servings/week (1.3 (95% uncertainly interval 1.0 to 1.9) in south Asia to 9.1 (8.3 to 10.1) in Latin America and the Caribbean). SSB intakes were higher in older versus younger children and adolescents, those resident in urban versus rural areas, and those of parents with higher versus lower education. Between 1990 and 2018, mean global SSB intakes increased by 0.68 servings/week (22.9%), with the largest increases in sub-Saharan Africa (2.17 servings/week; 106%). Of 185 countries included in the analysis, 56 (30.3%) had a mean SSB intake of ≥7 servings/week, representing 238 million children and adolescents, or 10.4% of the global population of young people.

CONCLUSION

This study found that intakes of SSBs among children and adolescents aged 3-19 years in 185 countries increased by 23% from 1990 to 2018, parallel to the rise in prevalence of obesity among this population globally. SSB intakes showed large heterogeneity among children and adolescents worldwide and by age, parental level of education, and urbanicity. This research should help to inform policies to reduce SSB intake among young people, particularly those with larger intakes across all education levels in urban and rural areas in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the growing problem of SSBs for public health in sub-Saharan Africa.

Sociodemographic differences in nutrition labels effect on Chilean and Mexican youth

Objective

To examine sociodemographic differences in the awareness, understanding, use and effect of nutrition labels among Mexican and Chilean youth.

Methods

Online surveys among youth (10-17 years) were obtained in 2019 (n=2631). Participants reported their awareness, understanding, and use of their country-specific nutrition facts tables (NFT) and front-of-pack labels (FOPL) (Chile: warning labels [WLs]; Mexico: guideline daily amounts [GDA]). Additionally, participants reported their perceived healthfulness of a sweetened fruit drink after viewing one of six versions of it with different FOPL (no-label control, Health Star Rating, WLs, GDAs, Traffic Light, or Nutri-Score) during an experimental task.

Results

Higher self-reported nutrition knowledge was associated with higher NFT and FOPL awareness, understanding, and use, except for WL use. WLs were the most effective FOPL in decreasing the perceived healthfulness of the sweetened fruit drink compared to a no-label condition and other FOP labels. In Chile, the effect of GDA differed by income adequacy, while in Mexico Nutri-Score differed by age.

Conclusions

Results suggest that nutrition label awareness, use, understanding, and impact differ across demographics, favoring higher income and nutrition knowledge. Despite this, WLs are likely to have a positive impact on nutrition-related knowledge and behaviors among Mexican and Chilean youth, independently of their socio-demographic groups.

Beverage industry TV advertising shifts after a stepwise mandatory food marketing restriction: achievements and challenges with regulating the food marketing environment

OBJECTIVE

Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) are heavily advertised globally, and SSB consumption is linked to increased health risk. To reduce unhealthy food marketing, Chile implemented a regulation for products classified as high in energies, sugar, saturated fat or sodium, starting with a 2016 ban on child-targeted advertising of these products and adding a 06.00-22.00 daytime advertising ban in 2019. This study assesses changes in television advertising prevalence of ready-to-drink beverages, including and beyond SSB, to analyse how the beverage industry shifted its marketing strategies across Chile's implementation phases.

DESIGN

Beverage advertisements were recorded during two randomly constructed weeks in April-May of 2016 (pre-implementation) through 2019 (daytime ban). Ad products were classified as 'high-in' or 'non-high-in' according to regulation nutrient thresholds. Ads were analysed for their programme placement and marketing content.

SETTING

Chile.

RESULTS

From pre-regulation to daytime ban, child-targeted, daytime and total ads decreased by 51·8 percentage points (p.p.), 51·5 p.p. and 61·8 p.p. for high-in products and increased by 62·9 p.p., 54·9 p.p. and 61·8 p.p. for non-high-in products (Ps < 0·001). Additionally, total ready-to-drink beverage ads increased by 5·4 p.p. and brand-only ads (no product shown) by 7 p.p.

CONCLUSIONS

After the regulation implementation, 'high-in' ads fell significantly, but 'non-high-in' ads rose and continued using strategies targeting children and being aired during daytime. Given research showing that advertising one product can increase preferences for a different product from that same brand and product categories, broader food marketing regulation approaches may be needed to protect children from the harmful effects of food marketing.

Framing a New Nutrition Policy: Changes on Key Stakeholder's Discourses throughout the Implementation of the Chilean Food Labelling Law

The global implementation of structural policies to tackle obesity has been slow, likely because of the competing interests of governments and the food industry. We used the discussion of the Chilean Food Labeling Law to identify influential stakeholders in the media and their frames during different periods of the law's implementation. This involved a content analysis of the food regulation media coverage in five key periods from 2007, when the food bill was first introduced in Congress, to 2018, when the second phase of the law was implemented (N = 1295). We found that most of the law coverage was through elite press. Half of the sources were from the food industry (26.7%) and government (26.2%), while other stakeholders, were less prevalent. Frames were mostly competing, except for cooperation with the law. The main food industry frame used during the discussion of the law was the "economic threat" (41.9%), whose prevalence decreased at the post-implementation period (13%, p < 0.01). No other relevant stakeholders changed their framing. Our results highlight that there are several aspects of public health communication, such as the type of media used, the involvement of scholars and civil society, and the framing, that could be improved to advance food environment policies.

Sugar Content and Warning Criteria Evaluation for Popular Sugar-Sweetened Beverages in Taipei, Taiwan

Sugar intake may increase the risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and dental caries. In Taiwan, people frequently consume sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). This study explored the energy and sugar content of Taiwanese SSBs and evaluated them using the Chilean warning label system (>70 kcal/100 mL and >5 g sugar/100 mL) and the World Health Organization (WHO) sugar guideline (≤25 g sugar). A total of 341 SSBs with volumes ≤600 mL were analyzed. No significant differences were observed in sugar per serving among different types of SSBs, but a great variation in portion size (i.e., package size for individual consumption) was noted. The energy and sugar ratios per serving were lower in soft drinks and coffee and tea containing >1 serving than in those containing only one serving. The calorie and sugar ratios per portion were higher in all types of SSBs containing >1 serving per portion than in those containing exactly one serving. Approximately 70.0% of Taiwanese SSBs were classified as high sugar according to the Chilean criteria, and 41.6% of SSBs exceeded the WHO guideline. Moreover, 40.8% of SSBs that were not considered as high sugar according to the Chilean criteria contained >25 g sugar per portion. For individual consumption, it is more clear that nutrition labeling is based on portion rather than serving. Evaluating SSBs on sugar/portion rather than sugar/100 mL will help consumers make better choices.

Associations between Breastfeeding Duration and Obesity Phenotypes and the Offsetting Effect of a Healthy Lifestyle

Background: Additional metabolic indicators ought to be combined as outcome variables when exploring the impact of breastfeeding on obesity risk. Given the role of a healthy lifestyle in reducing obesity, we aimed to assess the effect of breastfeeding duration on different obesity phenotypes according to metabolic status in children and adolescents, and to explore the offsetting effect of healthy lifestyle factors on the associations between breastfeeding duration and obesity phenotypes. Methods: A total of 8208 eligible children and adolescents aged 7–18 years were recruited from a Chinese national cross-sectional study conducted in 2013. Anthropometric indicators were measured in the survey sites, metabolic indicators were tested from fasting blood samples, and breastfeeding duration and sociodemographic factors were collected by questionnaires. According to anthropometric and metabolic indicators, obesity phenotypes were divided into metabolic healthy normal weight (MHNW), metabolic unhealthy normal weight (MUNW), metabolic healthy obesity (MHO), and metabolic unhealthy obesity (MUO). Four common obesity risk factors (dietary consumption, physical activity, screen time, and sleep duration) were used to construct a healthy lifestyle score. Scores on the lifestyle index ranged from 0 to 4 and were further divided into unfavorable lifestyles (zero or one healthy lifestyle factor), intermediate lifestyles (two healthy lifestyle factors), and favorable lifestyle (three or four healthy lifestyle factors). Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for the associations between breastfeeding duration and obesity phenotypes. Furthermore, the interaction terms of breastfeeding duration and each healthy lifestyle category were tested to explore the offsetting effect of lifestyle factors. Results: The prevalence of obesity among Chinese children and adolescents aged 7–18 years was 11.0%. Among the children and adolescents with obesity, the prevalence of MHO and MUO was 41.0% and 59.0%, respectively. Compared to the children and adolescents who were breastfed for 6–11 months, prolonged breastfeeding (≥12 months) increased the risks of MUNW (OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.19–1.52), MHO (OR = 1.61, 95% CI: 1.27–2.05), and MUO (OR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.20–1.76). When stratified by healthy lifestyle category, there was a typical dose–response relationship between duration of breastfeeding over 12 months and MUNW, MHO, and MUO, with an increased risk of a favorable lifestyle moved to an unfavorable lifestyle. Conclusions: Prolonged breastfeeding (≥12 months) may be associated with increased risks of MUNW, MHO, and MUO, and the benefits of breastfeeding among children and adolescents may begin to wane around the age of 12 months. The increased risks may be largely offset by a favorable lifestyle.

Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and breast composition in a longitudinal study of Chilean girls

Background

Frequent sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake has been associated with indirect markers of breast cancer risk, such as weight gain in adolescents and early menarche. How SSB intake relates to breast composition in adolescent girls has not been explored.

Methods

We evaluated the association between prospective intake of SSB and breast density in a cohort of 374 adolescent girls participating in the Growth and Obesity Cohort Study in Santiago, Chile. Multivariable linear regression models were used to analyze the association between average daily SSB intake quartiles and breast composition (absolute fibroglandular volume [aFGV], percent fibroglandular volume [%FGV], total breast volume [tBV]). Models were adjusted for potential confounding by BMI Z-score, age, daily energy intake (g/day), maternal education, hours of daily television watching after school, dairy intake (g/day), meat intake (g/day), waist circumference, and menarche. To examine the sensitivity of the association to the number of dietary recalls for each girl, analyses were further stratified by girls with one dietary recall and girls with > one dietary recall.

Results

A total of 881 dietary recalls were available for 374 girls prior to the breast density assessment. More than 60% of the cohort had > one dietary recall available. In multivariable analyses, we found no association between SSB intake quartile and aFGV (Q2 vs Q1 β: − 5.4, 95% CI − 15.1, 4.4; Q3 vs Q1 β: 1.3, 95% CI − 8.6, 11.3; Q4 vs Q1 β: 3.0, 95% CI − 7.1, 13). No associations were noted for %FGV and tBV. Among girls with at least one dietary recall, we found no significant associations between SSB intake quartiles and %FGV, aFGV, or tBV.

Conclusion

Overall, we observed no evidence that SSB intake was associated with breast density in adolescent Chilean girls.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13058-021-01495-8.

A Healthy Lifestyle Offsets the Increased Risk of Childhood Obesity Caused by High Birth Weight: Results From a Large-Scale Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: To investigate whether a healthy lifestyle is associated with the lower childhood obesity regardless of birth weight. Methods: Participants were selected from a large-scale cross-sectional study conducted in the seven provinces across China. Birth weight and lifestyle factors were collected through a questionnaire. A weighted healthy lifestyle score was calculated and categorized into favorable, intermediate, and unfavorable lifestyles. Results: A total of 47,768 participants were enrolled in this study. Overall, 16.4% of the participants followed a favorable lifestyle, 62.8% followed an intermediate lifestyle, and 20.8% followed an unfavorable lifestyle. Compared with the participants who were born normal birth weight (NBW), participants who were born high birth weight (HBW) (OR = 1.58; 95% CI 1.48-1.77) and very high birth weight (VHBW) (OR = 1.79; 95% CI: 1.47-2.18) had higher obesity risk, however, the participants who were born low birth weight (LBW) had lower obesity risk (OR = 0.81; 95% CI: 0.68-0.96). Participants with an unfavorable lifestyle were associated with a higher risk of childhood obesity compared with the participants with favorable lifestyle (OR = 1.25; 95%CI: 1.14-1.38). Participants who were born VHBW and with an unfavorable lifestyle had 2.76 times (95% CI: 1.78-4.28) further risk of childhood obesity compared with the participants who were born NBW and with a favorable lifestyle. However, adherence to a favorable lifestyle seems to counteract the elevated risk of childhood obesity by VHBW (OR = 1.37; 95% CI: 0.84-2.24). Conclusion: Both the HBW and unfavorable lifestyle were significantly associated with risk of childhood obesity. Adherence to a favorable lifestyle decreased the risk of childhood obesity among the participants with VHBW. A more longitudinal study is required to repeat the finding to inform tailored prevention programs.

Socio-economic inequalities in dietary intake in Chile: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Understanding the socio-economic inequalities in dietary intake is crucial when addressing the socio-economic gradient in obesity rates and non-communicable diseases. We aimed to systematically assess the association between socio-economic position (SEP) and dietary intake in Chile.

DESIGN

We searched for peer-reviewed and grey literature from inception until 31 December 2019 in PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, Web of Sciences and LILACS databases. Observational studies published in English and Spanish, reporting the comparison of at least one dietary factor between at least two groups of different SEP in the general Chilean population, were selected. Two researchers independently conducted data searches, screening and extraction and assessed study quality using an adaptation of the Newcastle Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale.

RESULTS

Twenty-one articles (from eighteen studies) were included. Study quality was considered low, medium and high for 24, 52 and 24 % of articles, respectively. Moderate-to-large associations indicated lower intake of fruit and vegetables, dairy products and fish/seafood and higher pulses consumption among adults of lower SEP. Variable evidence of association was found for energy intake and macronutrients, in both children and adults.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings highlight some socio-economic inequalities in diets in Chile, evidencing an overall less healthy food consumption among the lower SEP groups. New policies to reduce these inequalities should tackle the unequal distribution of factors affecting healthy eating among the lower SEP groups. These findings also provide important insights for developing strategies to reduce dietary inequalities in Chile and other countries that have undergone similar nutritional transitions.

TV advertising and dietary intake in adolescents: a pre- and post- study of Chile's Food Marketing Policy

Background

The first phase of a comprehensive marketing policy was implemented in Chile in 2016. The policy restricted child-directed marketing of foods and beverages considered high in energy, total sugars, sodium or saturated fat (“high-in”). The objective of this study was to examine the role of high-in TV food advertising as a mediator in the association between policy implementation and consumption of high-in foods and beverages between 2016 and 2017.

Methods

Dietary data were from 24-hour diet recalls collected in 2016 and 2017 in a cohort of 12–14 y children (n = 721). Television use was assessed concurrently and linked to analyses of food advertisements on broadcast and paid television to derive individual-level estimates of exposure to high-in food advertising. A multilevel mediation analysis examined direct and indirect effects of the policy through advertising exposure.

Results

Following the policy implementation, high-in advertising exposure was significantly reduced (p < 0.01). High-in food intake decreased in adolescents with lower levels, but not higher levels, of high-in advertising at baseline. We did not find evidence of mediation by changes in high-in ad exposure.

Conclusions

Adolescents’ exposure to high-in TV advertising decreased after the 2016 implementation of the Chilean Food Labeling and Marketing Law. However, evidence that changes in advertisement mediated dietary changes was not found. Further research is needed to understand how marketing changes will relate to dietary changes after full implementation of the law and in the long term.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12966-021-01126-7.

Examining Chile's unique food marketing policy: TV advertising and dietary intake in preschool children, a pre- and post- policy study

BACKGROUND

The Chilean government implemented the first phase of a comprehensive marketing policy in 2016, restricting child-directed marketing of products high in energy, total sugars, sodium or saturated fat (hereafter "high-in").

OBJECTIVES

To examine the role that high-in TV food advertising had in the effect of the policy on consumption of high-in products between 2016 and 2017.

METHODS

Dietary data were obtained from 24-hour diet recall measured in 2016 (n = 940) and 2017 (n = 853), pre- and post-policy, from a cohort of 4 to 6 years children. Television use was linked to analyses of food advertisements to derive individual-level estimates of exposure to advertising. A multilevel mediation analysis examined direct and indirect effects of the policy through advertising exposure.

RESULTS

Children's high-in food consumption and advertising exposure declined significantly from 2016 to 2017 (P < .01). Consumption changes were not significantly mediated by changes in advertising exposure, which might suggest other elements of the Chilean Law potentially driving decreases in consumption to a greater extent than TV ads.

CONCLUSIONS

Preschoolers' exposure to high-in advertising and consumption of high-in products decreased post-policy. Further research is needed to understand how marketing changes will relate to dietary changes after full implementation of the law and in the long term.

Ultra-Processed Food Consumption Among Chilean Preschoolers Is Associated With Diets Promoting Non-communicable Diseases

Introduction: In adults, intake of ultra-processed foods (UPF) has been linked with poor diets and adverse health outcomes. In young children, evidence is scarcer but suggests a higher dietary share of UPF.

Objective: To quantify the intake of UPF and its association with the nutrient composition of the diet in a sample of preschoolers in Santiago, Chile.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of dietary data (24-h recall survey) from 960 preschoolers. Foods were categorized according to the extent and purpose of processing (NOVA classification) and participants were classified in quintiles of UPF intake. We explored the associations between UPF intake (% of the total energy) and intake of nutrients of concern for non-communicable disease development (carbohydrates, total sugars, fats, and sodium), and nutrients for promotion (proteins, polyunsaturated fats, iron, calcium, zinc, vitamins A, D, C, and B₁₂, folate, and fiber) using multivariate regression after controlling for covariates.

Results: UPF constituted 49% of the total energy intake. Preschoolers with higher intake consumed more energy, saturated and monounsaturated fats, carbohydrates, total sugars, and vitamin D, compared to preschoolers in the lowest quintile of UPF intake. In contrast, UPF intake was negatively associated with the consumption of proteins, polyunsaturated fats, fiber, zinc, vitamin A, and sodium (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: In Chilean preschoolers, UPF was the primary source of energy intake. The dietary share of UPF was associated with the nutrient composition of the diet. Improving children's diet should consider not only promoting healthy food consumption but also limiting UPF consumption.

Consumption of non-nutritive sweeteners by pre-schoolers of the food and environment Chilean cohort (FECHIC) before the implementation of the Chilean food labelling and advertising law

BACKGROUND

Consumption of non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) is becoming increasingly more frequent, particularly in the context of obesity prevention policies. The aim of this study was to describe the consumption of NNS in an ongoing cohort of pre-schoolers (4-6-year-old) before the implementation of the Chilean Food Labelling and Advertising Law, identify sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics associated with their consumption, and describe the main dietary sources of each NNS sub-type.

METHODS

In 959 low-medium income pre-schoolers from the Food and Environment Chilean Cohort (FECHIC), dietary data from a single 24-h recall was linked to NNS content information obtained from packaged foods (n = 12,233). The prevalence of NNS consumption was estimated by food source and characterized by child and maternal sociodemographic and anthropometric variables. Intakes and main dietary sources were described for the six most prevalent NNS in Chile: Sodium Cyclamate, Saccharin, Aspartame, Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose, and Steviol glycosides.

RESULTS

Sixty-eight percent of the pre-schoolers consumed at least one source of NNS on the day of the dietary recall; most of them consumed NNS from foods and beverages (n = 532), while only 12% (n = 119) also consumed table-top sweeteners. The prevalence of NNS consumption was significantly higher among children whose mothers had a high educational level compared to children whose mothers did not complete high school (p < 0.05); however, it did not differ by any other variable studied. The highest intakes of NNS were observed for Aspartame [2.5 (1.4-3.7) mg/kg per consumer], followed by Sodium Cyclamate [1.6 (1.3-2.6) mg/kg per consumer] and Steviol glycosides [1.2 (0.2-2.1) mg/kg per consumer]. Beverages were the only food group that contributed to the intake of the six NNS studied, accounting for 22% of the overall intake of Saccharine and up to 99% of Aspartame intake.

CONCLUSIONS

Before the implementation of the Food Labelling and Advertising Law, NNS consumption was highly prevalent among a cohort of low-middle income Chilean pre-schoolers. Continuous monitoring of NNS consumption is essential given potential food reformulation associated with the implementation of this set of obesity-prevention policies.

An evaluation of Chile's Law of Food Labeling and Advertising on sugar-sweetened beverage purchases from 2015 to 2017: A before-and-after study

BACKGROUND

Chile's Law of Food Labeling and Advertising, implemented in 2016, was the first national regulation to jointly mandate front-of-package warning labels, restrict child-directed marketing, and ban sales in schools of all foods and beverages containing added sugars, sodium, or saturated fats that exceed set nutrient or calorie thresholds. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of this package of policies on household beverage purchases.

METHOD AND FINDINGS

In this observational study, monthly longitudinal data on packaged beverage purchases were collected from urban-dwelling households (n = 2,383) participating in the Kantar WordPanel Chile Survey from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2017. Beverage purchases were linked to nutritional information at the product level, reviewed by a team of nutritionists, and categorized as "high-in" or "not high-in" according to whether they contained high levels of nutrients of concern (i.e., sugars, sodium, saturated fat, or energy) according to Chilean nutrient thresholds and were thus subject to the law's warning label, marketing restriction, and school sales ban policies. The majority of high-in beverages were categorized as such because of high sugar content. We used fixed-effects models to compare the observed volume as well as calorie and sugar content of postregulation beverage purchases to a counterfactual based on preregulation trends, overall and by household-head educational attainment. Of households included in the study, 37% of household heads had low education (less than high school), 40% had medium education (graduated high school), and 23% had high education (graduated college), with the sample becoming more educated over the study period. Compared to the counterfactual, the volume of high-in beverage purchases decreased 22.8 mL/capita/day, postregulation (95% confidence interval [CI] -22.9 to -22.7; p < 0.001), or 23.7% (95% CI -23.8% to -23.7%). High-educated and low-educated households showed similar absolute reductions in high-in beverage purchases (approximately 27 mL/capita/day; p < 0.001), but for high-educated households this amounted to a larger relative decline (-28.7%, 95% CI -28.8% to -28.6%) compared to low-educated households (-21.5%, 95% CI -21.6% to -21.4%), likely because of the high-educated households' lower level of high-in beverage purchases in the preregulation period. Calories from high-in beverage purchases decreased 11.9 kcal/capita/day (95% CI -12.0 to -11.9; p < 0.001) or 27.5% (95% CI -27.6% to -27.5%). Calories purchased from beverages classified as "not high-in" increased 5.7 kcal/capita/day (95% CI 5.7-5.7; p < 0.001), or 10.8% (10.8%-10.8%). Calories from total beverage purchases decreased 7.4 kcal/capita/day (95% CI -7.4 to -7.3; p < 0.001), or 7.5% (95% CI -7.6% to -7.5%). A key limitation of this study is the inability to assess causality because of its observational nature. We also cannot determine whether observed changes in purchases are due to reformulation or consumer behavioral change, nor can we parse out the effects of the labeling, marketing, and school sales ban policies.

CONCLUSIONS

Purchases of high-in beverages significantly declined following implementation of Chile's Law of Food Labeling and Advertising; these reductions were larger than those observed from single, standalone policies, including sugar-sweetened-beverage taxes previously implemented in Latin America. Future research should evaluate the effects of Chile's policies on purchases of high-in foods, dietary intake, and long-term purchasing changes.

Evaluating the impact of Chile's marketing regulation of unhealthy foods and beverages: pre-school and adolescent children's changes in exposure to food advertising on television

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effects of Chile's 2016 regulation restricting child-directed marketing of products high in energy, saturated fats, sodium and sugars on reducing children's exposure to 'high-in' television food advertising.

DESIGN

Television use by pre-schoolers and adolescents was assessed via surveys in the months prior to implementation and a year after implementation. Hours and channels of television use were linked with the amount of high-in food advertising observed in corresponding content analyses of food advertisements (ads) from popular broadcast and cable channels to estimate changes in exposure to food ads from these channels.

SETTING

Middle-lower and lower-income neighbourhoods in Santiago, Chile.

PARTICIPANTS

Pre-schoolers (n 879; mothers reporting) and adolescents (n 753; self-reporting).

RESULTS

Pre-schoolers' and adolescents' exposure to high-in food advertising in total decreased significantly by an average of 44 and 58 %, respectively. Exposure to high-in food advertising with child-directed appeals, such as cartoon characters, decreased by 35 and 52 % for pre-schoolers and adolescents, respectively. Decreases were more pronounced for children who viewed more television. Products high in sugars were the most prevalent among the high-in ads seen by children after implementation.

CONCLUSIONS

Following Chile's 2016 child-directed marketing regulation, children's exposure to high-in food advertising on popular broadcast and cable television decreased significantly but was not eliminated from their viewing. Later stages of the regulation are expected to eliminate the majority of children's exposure to high-in food advertising from television.

Dietary Intake by Food Source and Eating Location in Low- and Middle-Income Chilean Preschool Children and Adolescents from Southeast Santiago

Background: Food source and eating location are important factors associated with the quality of dietary intake. In Chile the main food sources and eating locations of preschool children and adolescents and how these relate to dietary quality are unknown. Methods: We analyzed 24 h dietary recalls collected in 2016 from low- and middle-income Chilean preschool children (3–6 years, n = 839) and adolescents (12–14 years, n = 643) from southeastern Santiago. Surveys collected the food source and eating location for each food reported during the recall. We estimated the mean intake of calories and key nutrients of concern, such as saturated fats, total sugars, and sodium, by food source and eating location. Results: Foods obtained and eaten at home contributed the greatest proportion of total calories and the key nutrients of concern. Foods obtained at home tended to have lower caloric densities but higher sugar and sodium densities than foods obtained away from home in both age groups. With regard to location, for preschool children foods consumed at home had lower caloric and sugar densities than foods eaten at school, while for adolescents foods consumed at home had lower caloric, saturated fat, and sugar densities than foods eaten at school. For both children and adolescents, home was the primary source of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) calories. SSBs were important calorie contributors among foods across all settings, but the highest absolute amount of calories from these beverages was consumed at home. Conclusions: While most of Chilean youths’ calories and key nutrients of concern are obtained and consumed at home, these foods tended to have lower caloric densities than foods obtained and consumed away from home. Home was the main food source for SSBs, but the relative consumption of these beverages was high in all eating locations. More research will be needed to inform and evaluate policies and interventions to improve children’s dietary quality across settings.

Demographic, Social and Health-Related Variables that Predict Normal-Weight Preschool Children Having Overweight or Obesity When Entering Primary Education in Chile

We determined which variables are predictive of normal-weight (N) Chilean 4-year-olds developing overweight/obesity when entering primary school. This study used national data of preschoolers (PK, age 4) in 2011 through 2015, and the same children in the first grade (1st G, age 6) in 2013 through 2017. We formed longitudinal cohorts considering PK as the baseline and 1st G as the follow-up and included anthropometric, socio-demographic, and health variables in PK and anthropometry in the 1st G. We report the percentage N who remained N at follow-up (N-N) or gained excessive weight (N-OW) and (N-OB), by sex. We ran univariate logistic regressions to determine for each variable, its association with gaining excessive weight (N-OW + OB), incorporating significant variables (p < 0.001) in multivariate logistic regression. A total of 483,509 (251,150 girls) of PK had anthropometry in the 1st G. In PK, 22% of the children were obese; in the 1st G (24.8% and 19.7% in boys and girls, respectively). Of normal-weight children, 30% developed OW + OB. The predictive variables were: Being born macrosomic, attending a very vulnerable school, being indigenous, the mother’s low schooling, and the child being cared for by the grandmother after school. In this study, the factors predicting that normal-weight preschoolers gain excessive weight gain in a short period of time are mostly related to poverty. Prevention should focus on this population.