Dietary patterns and their association with obesity indices among Lebanese children 2-5 year old -

Abstract

In The Eastern Mediterranean region obesity is becoming the most frequent nutritional disorder among children. The present study aims to determine the dietary pattern and their association with socio-demographic and lifestyle factors and BMI among Lebanese children aged 2-5 year old. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a nationally representative sample (n=531) of 2-5 year old children and their mothers. Subjects were recruited from randomly selected households based on stratified cluster sampling from the six governorates of Lebanon. Socio-demographic, lifestyle, dietary and anthropometric data were collected. Overweight and obesity were defined according to WHO 2007 growth standards. Using factor analysis two dietary patterns were identified: the Sweet pattern and the Lebanese pattern. The sweet pattern was characterized by high intake on sweetened beverages, Fast food, Salty snack, sweetened dairy and desserts, condiments, added fats and oil, animal protein, tea and pizza and pie. The Lebanese pattern was characterized by high intake of bread, rice and pasta, dairy products, tea, fruits and vegetables, starchy vegetables and legumes, yogurt, added fat and oil and nuts and seeds. Children belonging to the third tertile of the Lebanese pattern were found to have 70percent lower risk (OR=0.30, CI=0.90-0.98) of being overweight and obese when adjusted for age, sex and other socio-demographic and lifestyle factors. These findings are in accordance with the literature review suggesting that the Lebanese dietary pattern is protective against obesity. No association was found between the sweet pattern and risk of obesity.