Are dietary patterns in early childhood associated with alcohol consumption at the age of 17? Analysis of data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Children and Parents (ALSPAC) prospective cohort study

Abstract Objective To examine the relationship between a posteriori dietary patterns in early childhood and alcohol consumption in adolescence. Design Data was obtained from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Children and Parents (ALSPAC) prospective cohort study. Dietary information was obtained using food frequency questionnaires at ages 3 and 7 years. The association between dietary patterns, derived using Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores (to assess harmful intake) and frequency of alcohol consumption at 17 years were examined. Secondary analysis considered sugar intake as a percentage of total energy intake. Setting Women who gave birth between 1 April 1991 and 31 December 1992 in the Avon area in southwest England were eligible for the ALSPAC cohort study. Participants 14,541 pregnancies were enrolled in ALSPAC during its initial recruitment phase. For this analysis, complete data was available for between 3148 and 3520 participants. Results Adherence to the “healthy” dietary pattern at both 3 and 7 years of age was positively associated with consuming more than one alcoholic drink per week at 17 years, whilst adherence to the ‘traditional’ dietary pattern at both ages was protective of harmful alcohol intake at 17. Sugar intake was not associated with either alcohol outcome after adjustment for ethnicity, maternal level of education, parental social class and maternal AUDIT score. Conclusions For the population studied, changes to diet in early childhood are unlikely to have an impact on harmful alcohol use in adolescence given the lack of consistency across the results.

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Childhood dietary patterns and cardiovascular risk factors in adolescence: results from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980016001592 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 19 (18) ◽

pp. 3369-3377 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Caroline J Bull ◽

Kate Northstone

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Cardiovascular Risk ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Cardiovascular Risk Factors ◽

Dietary Patterns ◽

Dietary Pattern ◽

Cvd Risk ◽

Parents And Children ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Avon Longitudinal Study

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the prospective associations between dietary patterns in childhood and CVD risk in adolescence.DesignProspective cohort study. Exposures were dietary patterns at age 7, 10 and 13 years derived by cluster analysis. Outcomes were physiological and biochemical cardiovascular risk markers.SettingAvon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), UK.SubjectsChildren (n2311, 44.1 % male) with complete data available.ResultsAfter adjustment for known confounders, we observed an association between being in the ‘Processed’ and ‘Packed lunch’ dietary pattern clusters at age 7 and BMI at age 17. Compared with the ‘healthy’ cluster, the OR (95 % CI) for being in the top 10 % for BMI was 1·60 (1·01, 2·55;P=0·05) for the ‘Processed’ cluster and 1·96 (1·22, 3·13;P=0·005) for the ‘Packed lunch’ cluster. However, no association was observed between BMI and dietary patterns at age 10 and 13. Longitudinal analyses showed that being in either the ‘Processed’ or ‘Packed lunch’ cluster at age 7 was associated with increased risk of being in the top 10 % for BMI regardless of subsequent cluster membership. No associations between other cardiovascular risk measures and dietary patterns were robust to adjustment for confounders.ConclusionsWe did not find any consistent evidence to support an association between dietary patterns in childhood and cardiovascular risk factors in adolescence, with the exception of BMI and dietary pattern at age 7 only. However, the importance of dietary intake in childhood upon health later in life requires further investigation and we would encourage the adoption of a healthy diet as early in life as possible.

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Dietary Patterns and Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy: Secondary Analysis of Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children

Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research ◽

10.1111/acer.13379 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 (6) ◽

pp. 1120-1128 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Victoria Coathup ◽

Kate Northstone ◽

Ron Gray ◽

Simon Wheeler ◽

Lesley Smith

Keyword(s):

Longitudinal Study ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Dietary Patterns ◽

Secondary Analysis ◽

Parents And Children ◽

Avon Longitudinal Study

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The Influence of Alcohol Consumption on Fighting, Shoplifting and Vandalism in Young Adults

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18073509 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (7) ◽

pp. 3509

Author(s):

Ieuan Evans ◽

Jon Heron ◽

Joseph Murray ◽

Matthew Hickman ◽

Gemma Hammerton

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Real Life ◽

Self Report ◽

Parents And Children ◽

Experimental Findings ◽

Avon Longitudinal Study ◽

Causal Component

Experimental studies support the conventional belief that people behave more aggressively whilst under the influence of alcohol. To examine how these experimental findings manifest in real life situations, this study uses a method for estimating evidence for causality with observational data—‘situational decomposition’ to examine the association between alcohol consumption and crime in young adults from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Self-report questionnaires were completed at age 24 years to assess typical alcohol consumption and frequency, participation in fighting, shoplifting and vandalism in the previous year, and whether these crimes were committed under the influence of alcohol. Situational decomposition compares the strength of two associations, (1) the total association between alcohol consumption and crime (sober or intoxicated) versus (2) the association between alcohol consumption and crime committed while sober. There was an association between typical alcohol consumption and total crime for fighting [OR (95% CI): 1.47 (1.29, 1.67)], shoplifting [OR (95% CI): 1.25 (1.12, 1.40)], and vandalism [OR (95% CI): 1.33 (1.12, 1.57)]. The associations for both fighting and shoplifting had a small causal component (with the association for sober crime slightly smaller than the association for total crime). However, the association for vandalism had a larger causal component.

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Rurality and dietary patterns: associations in a UK cohort study of 10-year-old children

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980014001864 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 18 (8) ◽

pp. 1436-1443 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Tim T Morris ◽

Kate Northstone

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Principal Components Analysis ◽

Principal Components ◽

Dietary Patterns ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Dietary Pattern ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Urban Group ◽

Urban Rural ◽

Components Analysis

AbstractObjectiveDespite differences in obesity and ill health between urban and rural areas in the UK being well documented, very little is known about differences in dietary patterns across these areas. The present study aimed to examine whether urban/rural status is associated with dietary patterns in a population-based UK cohort study of children.DesignDietary patterns were obtained using principal components analysis and cluster analysis of 3 d diet records collected from children at 10 years of age. Rurality was obtained from the 2001 UK Census urban/rural indicator at the time of dietary assessment. General linear models were used to examine the relationship between rurality and dietary pattern scores from principal components analysis; multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the association between rurality and dietary clusters.SettingThe Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), South West England.SubjectsChildren (n 5677) aged 10 years (2817 boys and 2860 girls).ResultsAfter adjustment, increases in rurality were associated with increased scores on the ‘health awareness’ dietary pattern (β=0·35; 95 % CI 0·14, 0·56; P<0·001 for the most rural compared with the most urban group) and lower scores on the ‘packed lunch/snack’ dietary pattern (β=−0·39; 95 % CI −0·59, −0·19; P<0·001 for the most rural compared with the most urban group). The odds ratio for participants being in the ‘healthy’ compared with the ‘processed’ dietary cluster for the most rural areas was 1·61 (95 % CI 1·05, 2·49; P=0·02) compared with those in the most urban areas.ConclusionsThere is evidence to suggest that differences exist in dietary patterns between rural and urban areas. Similar results were found using two different methods of dietary pattern analysis, showing that children residing in rural households were more likely to consume healthier diets than those in urban households.

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The Association Between Dietary Pattern Adherence, Cognitive Stimulating Lifestyle, and Cognitive Function Among Older Adults From the Quebec Longitudinal Study on Nutrition and Successful Aging

The Journals of Gerontology Series B ◽

10.1093/geronb/gbaa178 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Matthew D Parrott ◽

Pierre-Hugues Carmichael ◽

Danielle Laurin ◽

Carol E Greenwood ◽

Nicole D Anderson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Dietary Patterns ◽

Dietary Pattern ◽

Successful Aging ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Primary Effect ◽

Western Dietary Pattern ◽

Global Cognition

Abstract Objectives This study examined the effect of dietary patterns and engagement in cognitive stimulating lifestyle (CSL) behaviors on the trajectory of global cognition, executive function (EF), and verbal episodic memory (VEM). Methods Western and prudent dietary patterns were empirically derived using food frequency questionnaire responses from 350 community-dwelling older adults (mean age: 73.7 years) participating in the Quebec Longitudinal Study on Nutrition and Successful Aging. CSL was represented by a binary composite indicator based on education, occupational complexity, and social engagement. Global cognition, EF, and VEM were assessed prospectively. Results Primary effect models revealed an association between higher Western dietary pattern score and a greater rate of decline in global cognition and EF. Higher Western dietary pattern adherence was also associated with poorer baseline VEM. Primary effect models also revealed that CSL was independently associated with baseline global cognition and EF. Effect modification models suggested an interactive effect between Western dietary pattern and CLS on global cognition only. No associations were found for prudent dietary pattern score. Discussion Contributing to existing research supporting the negative impact of consuming an unhealthy diet on cognitive function, the current study suggests increased vulnerability among older adults who do not engage in a CSL. These findings can inform the development of lifestyle intervention programs that target brain health in later adulthood.

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The prevalence of symptoms and consultations in pre-school children in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC): a prospective cohort study

Family Practice ◽

10.1093/fampra/cmi035 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 22 (4) ◽

pp. 367-374 ◽

Cited By ~ 104

Author(s):

Alastair D Hay ◽

Jon Heron ◽

Andy Ness

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Prospective Cohort Study ◽

School Children ◽

Prospective Cohort ◽

Parents And Children ◽

Avon Longitudinal Study

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Diet at Age 10 and 13 Years in Children Identified as Picky Eaters at Age 3 Years and in Children Who Are Persistent Picky Eaters in A Longitudinal Birth Cohort Study

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu11040807 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 807 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Caroline M Taylor ◽

Nicholas P Hays ◽

Pauline M Emmett

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Eating Behaviour ◽

Food Choices ◽

Birth Cohort Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Picky Eating ◽

Effective Strategies ◽

Parents And Children ◽

Avon Longitudinal Study

Picky eating has been associated with lower intakes of some nutrients and foods during preschool ages but there is little known about the longer-term diet. The aim of this study was to characterise the diets of children aged 10 and 13 years who had been identified as: (1) picky eaters at age 3 years (cross-sectional); and (2) picky eaters at 2–5.5 years old (longitudinal). Picky eating behaviour (PE) was identified in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) from parental/caregiver questionnaires. Dietary intake was assessed at age 3.5 years and repeated at 10 and 13 years. For cross-sectional PE compared with non-PE there were differences at age 10 years that were similar to those at 3.5 years: lower intakes of protein (−5%) and fibre (−7%) and of meat (−15%), fruit (−10%) and vegetables (−33%). At 13 years, differences in vegetable (−23%), fruit (−14%) and meat (−8%) intakes were evident. For longitudinal (persistent) PE, differences were more pronounced at each age. More effective strategies to help parents to widen the food choices of their children at early ages need to be developed, focusing particularly on vegetable and fruit intakes.

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