Relationships between Mothers’ Food- and Physical Activity- Related Habits and Level of Preschoolers’ Food Literacy and Motor Skills in Disadvantaged Urban Areas: The Training-to-Health Project

Abstract

Objectives. The practice of physical activity (PA) and correct food choices since pre-school age can help in the obesity prevention and other chronic disorders. In this process, mothers have an important role, but the relationship with their children's lifestyle is still unclear in disadvantaged areas. The aim of this study is to explain the extent to which maternal food habits and PA level predict food-related aspects and PA practice in preschoolers from disadvantaged urban areas. Methods. It is a cross-sectional study. A total of 79 dyads of mothers and children were recruited from kindergartens. A questionnaire was compiled by mothers to collect data on: family socio-demographic aspects; mothers' and children's dietary intake frequencies, PA/sedentariness, weight and height; mothers' perception on children's food intake, children's food literacy (FL) and Quotient of Gross Motor Development (QGMD). Results. The following associations were found out: mothers' and children's food habits (beta=0.66, p<0.001); mothers' and children's fruit/vegetables consumption (OR 16.2, 95% CI 4.68 -59.77), and intake of the other items (sugar and carbonated drinks, confectioned sweet and savory snacks, ready meals, breakfast); mothers' education or PA level and children's FL (beta -0.25, p<0.05; beta 0.25, p<0.05, respectively); mothers' PA or sedentariness and children's QGMD (beta 0.26, p<0.05; -0.21, p<0.1, respectively); mothers' BMI and food habits (beta -0.19, p<0.05) and children's BMI (beta 0.04, p<0.05); education and food habits (beta -0.34, p<0.05). Mothers did not correctly perceived children's BMI, PA practicing and food intake (p<0.05). Conclusions. To delineate the global path of the relationships between mothers' and children's lifestyles in disadvantaged urban areas can be currently useful to planning effective interventions aimed to help children and families in maintaining their healthy habits suddenly changed during COVID-19 pandemic.

Conocimiento, hábitos y frecuencia de alimentación de padres según estado ponderal de niños y niñas de seis a 10 años (Knowledge, habits and frequency of feeding of parents according to weight status of boys and girls from six to 10 years old)

“…Mejorar los hábitos y conductas alimentarias en los niños se logrará cuando se integre a la familia en este proceso, el aprendizaje social del niño es dependiente de los actores que interactúan con él (Dinkel & Snyder, 2020;Chiva-Bartolli & Estevan, 2019;Flórez 2020;Jaimes et al, 2022;Boente et al, 2021), la escuela y los padres se convierten en los primeros agentes de cambio, en donde la promoción y las interacciones de los padres pueden influir en el niño (Chiva-Bartolli & Estevan 2019;Dinkel & Snyder 2020;Byungmo et al, 2020;Jacobb 2020;Vásquez et al, 2020;Bennasser & Vidal 2021;Crumbley et al, 2020;Tabacchi et al, 2021). En este contexto Godoy et al (2020) señala que la evidencia científica da muestras que el IMC de los padres está relacionado con el de sus hijos, preferentemente a la edad de cuatro años.…”