Impact of COVID-19 pandemic : association between family socioeconomic factors, overweight and unhealthy eating habits in school-age children in Portugal
Year: 2023
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: ABSTRACT - Introduction: Globally, childhood obesity, eating habits and socioeconomic inequalities, as well as COVID-19 pandemic, represent a contemporary Public Health challenge. The main purpose of this study is to characterize the associations between family socioeconomic factors during and after pandemic periods with energy-dense food consumption and its influence on the prevalence of overweight of Portuguese schoolage children. Methods: This study follows an observational cross-sectional design based on data from the 6th round (2021/2022) of COSI Portugal. The information on parental socioeconomic indicators and children’s eating habits during and after pandemic were obtained through family form. The data on anthropometric measurements was collected according to a methodological protocol. Results: During pandemic period, lower maternal education was positively associated with a decrease in children’s consumption of soft drinks containing sugar and was inversely associated with an increase in consumption of sweet and savoury snacks. Maternal unemployment was positively related with a decrease in children’s consumption of soft drinks containing sugar, sweet and savoury snacks. After pandemic period, lower maternal education and paternal unemployment were positively correlated with children’s less healthy behaviour regarding soft drinks containing sugar and savoury snacks. Childhood overweight was positively related with lower maternal and paternal education, and inversely related with medium family perceived wealth. Conclusion: This study was an important step for a better understanding of socioeconomic disparities in childhood overweight and in children’s eating habits during and after pandemic in order to identify the most vulnerable population’s groups and support equitable policy and practice to respond to this epidemic.
Author: Figueira, Inês dos Santos
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7010482732