B4236 - The association between early childhood dietary variety score with nutrient profiles and later dietary pattern scores - 16/01/2023

B number: 
B4236
Principal applicant name: 
Kate Northstone | UoB (United Kingdom)
Co-applicants: 
Louise Jones, Bethany Winstone
Title of project: 
The association between early childhood dietary variety score with nutrient profiles and later dietary pattern scores
Proposal summary: 

A healthy diet in childhood is really important for growth and development. Habits formed in childhood can persit into adulthood. It has been shown that variety in the diet (i.e. the different types of foods consumed) is relatively low at 2 years of age but increases by the age of 4.

These changes could be due to lots of factors such as environmental and social aspects of a child’s upbringing. For example, low socioeconomic status of the mother is associated with a low dietary variety score, whilst a higher dietary variety score is associated with children being less picky with their food choices.

A healthy diet consists of a variety of fruit and vegetable sources, carbohydrates, and low saturated fat, sugar and salt consumption.Vitamin D is a necessary vitamin needed for bone strength and development, however low levels in childhood is a common issue within the UK.

This project will look to see how dietary variety in childhood is associated with nutrient intakes (saturated fat, salt, sugar, fibre and vitamin D). It will also see whether dietary variety is associated with dietary pattern scores that have been created at age 7 (dietary patterns are healthy, processed).

Impact of research: 
Understanding whether a varied diet in early childhood leads to an improved nutrient profile will contribute to public health messaging
Date proposal received: 
Saturday, 14 January, 2023
Date proposal approved: 
Monday, 16 January, 2023
Keywords: 
Epidemiology, Nutrition - breast feeding, diet