We aim to examine dietary patterns obtained through Principal Components Analysis (PCA) from diet diary data collected at 8, 18 and 43 months and determine how these patterns relate to each other over time from infancy to the preschool period. We will examine associations between these dietary patterns and nutrient intakes and various familial socioeconomic and lifestyle factors. We will determine whether the early dietary patterns are related to rapid early weight gain, which has been shown to be associated with higher body fatness in these children at 5 years of age (Ong et al, 2000)

Research questions: We will use the diet diary data collected in ALSPAC at 8, 18 and 43 months (n ~ 800 with complete data) to:

1.Establish dietary patterns using PCA;

2.Examine associations between patterns and nutrients at each time point;

3.Examine associations between patterns and lifestyle factors at each time point;

4.Determine to what extent the patterns obtained over time are associated with each other;

5.Determine whether any particular pattern is associated with early rapid weight gain.