ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To describe children's consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and 100% fruit juice (FJ), and identify factors that may reduce excessive consumption. DESIGN: A total of 830 parents of young children completed a 36-item questionnaire at the pediatricians' office. RESULTS: Children consumed soda (62.2%), other SSBs (61.6%), and FJ (88.2%): 26.9% exceeded the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommended daily FJ intake. 157 (18.9%) children consumed excessive calories (>200 kcal/d) from beverages (median = 292.2 kcal/d, range 203.8-2177.0 kcal/d). Risk factors for excessive calorie consumption from beverages were exceeding recommendations for FJ (odds ratio [OR] = 119.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 52.2-274.7), being 7 to 12 years old (OR = 4.3, 95%CI = 1.9-9.9), and having Medicaid insurance (OR = 2.6, 95%CI = 1.1-6.0). Parents would likely reduce beverage consumption if recommended by the physician (65.6%). CONCLUSIONS: About 1 in 5 children consumes excessive calories from soda, other SSBs and FJ, with FJ the major contributor.
Subject(s)
Beverages/statistics & numerical data , Energy Intake/physiology , Nutrition Surveys/methods , Patient Education as Topic/methods , Age Factors , Carbonated Beverages/statistics & numerical data , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Fruit , Health Behavior , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Humans , Infant , Male , Nutrition Surveys/statistics & numerical data , Risk Factors , Surveys and Questionnaires , Sweetening Agents , WashingtonABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To describe parents' experience with their child's allergic rhinitis (AR) to inform management by the primary care provider (PCP). STUDY DESIGN: Two hundred parents with a child 7 to 15 years old with AR symptoms within the past 12 months completed a paper survey. RESULTS: The child's AR was identified as a significant problem in spring (89.3%), fall (63.4%), summer (50.3%), and winter (21.4%); 51.3% had persistent disease. AR symptoms most commonly interfered with the child's outdoor activities and sleeping, and frequently bothered the parent and other family members. Most parents (88.3%) wanted to know what their child was allergic to and had many concerns about treatment options. A total of 62.9% had sought AR care from the PCP in the past 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: Many families experience significant morbidity from their child's AR and turn to their PCP for help. We identified opportunities for the PCP to reduce AR morbidity.
