One-third of Finnish preschoolers show dangerous combo of poor diet and screen time
A study of nearly 900 preschoolers identifies a high-risk behavioral cluster—excessive screen viewing combined with unhealthy eating—that significantly raises overweight risk. The finding suggests early childhood is a critical window for intervention, with implications for childcare policy, food standards, and public health budgets across developed economies.
Originaltitel: How energy balance-related behaviours, temperament, stress and overweight associate: a cross-sectional study of Finnish preschoolers
<p>Objective: This study aimed to (1) examine the clustering of energy balance-related behaviours (EBRB) and (2) investigate whether EBRB clusters, temperament and hair cortisol concentration (HCC) associate with overweight.</p><p>Design: We assessed food consumption using food records, screen time (ST) using sedentary behaviour diaries, sleep consistency and temperament (negative affectivity, surgency, effortful control) using questionnaires and HCC using hair samples. Accelerometers were used to assess physical activity (PA) intensities, sleep duration and sleep efficiency. Researchers measured each child's weight and height. We used finite mixture models to identify EBRB clusters and multilevel logistic regression models to examine the associations between EBRB clusters, temperament, HCC and overweight.</p><p>Setting: The cross-sectional DAGIS survey, data collected in 2015-2016.</p><p>Participants: Finnish 3-6-year-olds (n 864) recruited through preschools.</p><p>Results: One-third of the participants were categorised into the cluster labelled 'Unhealthy diet, excessive screen time', characterised by unhealthy dietary choices (e.g. greater consumption of high-fat, high-sugar dairy products) and longer ST. Two-thirds were categorised into the second cluster, labelled 'Healthy diet, moderate screen time'. PA and sleep were irrelevant for clustering. Higher negative affectivity and lower effortful control associated with the 'Unhealthy diet, excessive screen time' cluster. EBRB clusters and HCC did not associate with overweight, but surgency was positively associated with overweight (OR = 1·63, 95 % CI 1·17, 2·25).</p><p>Conclusions: Of the EBRB, food consumption and ST seem to associate. As temperament associates with EBRB clusters and overweight, tailored support acknowledging the child's temperament could be profitable in maintaining a healthy weight.</p>