Abstract
Background
Current dietary guidelines recommend avoiding foods and beverages with added sugars
and higher sodium before age 2 years.
Objective
The aim was to describe daily snack food intake (frequency and total energy) and the
associations with overconsumed nutrients (added sugars, sodium, and saturated fats)
and child weight-for-length z scores.
Design
A cross-sectional, secondary analysis of baseline data from an ongoing longitudinal
intervention was conducted.
Participants and setting
A sample of 141 caregivers with infants (aged 9 to 11 months) and toddlers (aged 12
to 15 months) was recruited in Buffalo, NY, between 2017 and 2019.
Main outcome measures
Three 24-hour dietary recalls were used to categorize 'sweet and salty snack foods'
or 'commercial baby snack foods' based on the US Department of Agriculture What We
Eat in America food group classifications and estimate nutrient intakes. Child recumbent
length and weight were measured by trained researchers.
Statistical analysis
Daily frequency (times/day), energy (kcal/day), and overconsumed nutrients from snack
food intake were calculated. Multivariable regression models examined associations
between the frequency of and energy from snack food intake with overconsumed nutrients
and child weight-for-length z scores.
Results
Infants consumed snack foods on average 1.2 times/day contributing 5.6% of total daily
energy, 19.6% of added sugars, and 6.8% of sodium. Toddlers consumed snack foods on
average 1.4 times/day contributing 8.9% of total daily energy, 40.0% of added sugars,
and 7.2% of sodium. In adjusted models including all children, greater frequency of
sweet and salty snack food intake, but not commercial baby snack foods, was associated
with higher weight-for-length z scores.
Conclusions
Snack foods are frequently consumed by infants and toddlers and contribute to the
intake of overconsumed nutrients such as added sugars and sodium. Given the current
guidelines to avoid added sugars and higher sodium before age 2 years, additional
recommendations related to nutrient-dense snack intake may be beneficial.
Keywords
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Biography
A. M. Moore is a postdoctoral scholar, Center for Childhood Obesity Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park.
Biography
J .O. Fisher is a professor, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Obesity Research and Education, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
Biography
C. M. Croce is a senior research associate, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Obesity Research and Education, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
Biography
K. S. Morris is a project coordinator, Division of Behavioral Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY.
Biography
R. A. Paluch is a data manager/statistician, Division of Behavioral Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY.
Biography
K. L. Kong is an assistant professor, Baby Health Behavior Lab, Division of Health Services and Outcomes Research, Children’s Mercy Research Institute, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO. Center for Children's Healthy Lifestyles and Nutrition, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS. Department of Pediatrics, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 24, 2022
Accepted:
February 21,
2022
Received:
August 6,
2021
Footnotes
STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
FUNDING/SUPPORT This work was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health (grant no: R01HD087082-01).
Identification
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© 2022 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
