Abstract
Beverage consumption adds to daily energy intake and often exceeds the recommended amount for discretionary energy. Previous research has shown that children are consuming sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) in greater frequency and the relationship between parent-child dyads in beverage consumption is meaningful due to the parental influence on the development of beverage consumption behaviors. In particular, low-income families are at greater risk for obesity and higher levels of SSB consumption. The current investigation assessed habitual beverage intake among low-income parent-child dyads (N=95) with children between the ages of 9-17years. The sample (46% African American; 45% Caucasian) had a mean body mass index (BMI) for the parents of 31.8±8.9kg/m 2, while the mean BMI percentile for age and gender for the children was 70.3±31.3. Both parents and children consumed fewer nutrient-dense beverages and more energy-dense beverages than the recommended amount. The mean daily energy intake from beverages was 451±236kcal for the parents and 457±237kcal for the children. Correlations between parent-child dyad intake was also evident, identifying parents as potential role models and gatekeepers of the home food environment. Future interventions to prevent childhood obesity in low-income populations should address beverage intake, particularly SSB consumption, and determine the degree to which this behavior is learned behavior in the home.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 313-316 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Eating Behaviors |
Volume | 12 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2011 |
Keywords
- Beverage intake
- Low-income
- Sugar sweetened beverages
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychiatry and Mental health