Markers of healthy eating habits, water intake, and constipation in children between 4 and 7 years of age

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the association between diet and constipation in children between four and seven years of age. Methods A cross-sectional study with 152 children between 4 and 7 years of age residing in Viçosa, Brazil. Constipation was defined in accordance with the Rome IV diagnostic criteria. Dietary habits were evaluated based on the frequency of food intake using a food diary for three days. Dietary analysis considered foods deemed healthy and unhealthy which could be associated with constipation, as well as the children’s consumption of fruits and vegetables. The amounts of fiber and water consumed were also rated as adequate or inadequate. As part of the analyses, Student’s t-test and the chi-square test were performed with a significance level of p<0.05. Results The prevalence of constipation was 32.2%. Constipation was more common among children who did not consume fruits (p=0.020) or greens (p=0.002), as well as among children who consumed “instant” chocolate drinks (p=0.033). An association was found between the frequent consumption of fried food (p=0.020), a daily water intake lower than 600mL, and constipation (p=0.028). Conclusion Unhealthy eating habits among children, such as the lack of fruit and greens intake and the consumption of “instant” chocolate drinks and fried foods, were found to be positively correlated with constipation. The low fruit and vegetable consumption observed herein reflects the need for changes in children’s eating habits and the implementation of measures to promote the intake of healthy foods.

Relationship of Functional Constipation and Growth Status: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Most of the included studies used cross‐sectional design ( n = 15), 1 study for each case‐control (21), retrospective chart review (23), and observational study (24). Eight studies were done in Asia, 4 in South America (9,14,19,22), 3 in North America (23,25,27), and the other 3 in Europe (24,26,29). They were all published between 2005 and 2020.…”

“…Two meta‐analyses were done because there were 2 ways of BMI reporting in the studies: mean BMI (16,20,21) and mean BMI z‐score (14,15). The first meta‐analysis on mean BMIs of FC patients showed that there was a moderate heterogeneity ( I 2 = 40%, P = 0.19) among the studies with no statistical difference among the studies ( P = 0.17).…”

Original article of prevalence, risk factors and clinical characteristics of constipation in Chinese patients with schizophrenia

“…Studies have confirmed that the intake of gluten containing cereal products plays an Published by Francis Academic Press, UK -62-important role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, and considering its pathogenesis, the treatment methods of schizophrenia were analyzed [39] . At the same time, Brazilian scholars have reported that unhealthy food may be related to constipation in dietary analysis, and finally concluded that poor eating habits such as insufficient intake of vegetables and fruits are significantly positively correlated with constipation [40] . In addition, the study on the correlation between the diet and constipation of schizophrenic patients found that due to the lack of self-control ability of schizophrenic patients, the intake of fat and total sugar is high, which will have a certain impact on the health of patients.…”

Clinical interventions to increase vegetable intake in children

“…Vegetables are an important component of the diet, providing a high density of vitamins, minerals, and fiber relative to the total number of calories. Greater daily consumption of vegetables may reduce the risk of constipation and dental caries in children [11][12][13]. Increased vegetable intake is associated with reductions in obesity and secondary comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality from cancer [14][15][16].…”