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Associations between Meal Patterns and Risk of Overweight/Obesity in Children and Adolescents in Western Countries: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies and Randomised Controlled Trials
by
Georgios Saltaouras
Georgios Saltaouras 1,
Athanasia Kyrkili
Athanasia Kyrkili 1,
Eirini Bathrellou
Eirini Bathrellou 1,
Michael Georgoulis
Michael Georgoulis 1,
Mary Yannakoulia
Mary Yannakoulia 1,
Vasiliki Bountziouka
Vasiliki Bountziouka 2,3,4,5,
Urška Smrke
Urška Smrke 6,
George Dimitrakopoulos
George Dimitrakopoulos 7 and
Meropi D. Kontogianni
Meropi D. Kontogianni
Prof. Meropi D Kontogianni is an Associate Professor in Clinical Nutrition at the Harokopio of She a [...]
Prof. Meropi D Kontogianni is an Associate Professor in Clinical Nutrition at the Harokopio University of Athens. She completed her Bachelor’s studies in Nutrition and Dietetics and her PhD studies in Applied Nutrition and Dietetics at Harokopio University. One area of her research interests focuses on the study of the contribution of dietary and lifestyle patterns to the prevention and treatment of non-communicable chronic diseases, with a special interest in metabolic syndrome and its components. She has co-authored 105 scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals and 30 book chapters in the field of nutrition, public health and clinical nutrition.
1,*
1
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences and Education, Harokopio University of Athens, 17671 Athens, Greece
2
Computer Simulation, Genomics and Data Analysis Laboratory, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of the Aegean, 81400 Lemnos, Greece
3
Department of Cardiovascular Science, College of Life Science, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
4
NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester LE3 9QP, UK
5
Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, GOS Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
6
Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Maribor, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
7
Department of Informatics and Telematics, School of Digital Technology, Harokopio University of Athens, 17671 Athens, Greece
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Children 2024, 11(9), 1100; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11091100 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 30 July 2024
/
Revised: 30 August 2024
/
Accepted: 6 September 2024
/
Published: 7 September 2024
Abstract
Childhood overweight/obesity (OV/OB) is a major public health problem in Western countries, often accompanied with comorbidities (e.g., hypertension and insulin resistance) (i.e., metabolically unhealthy obesity—MUO). Among diet-related risk factors of OV/OB risk and MUO, meal patterns remain limitedly studied. The aim of this systematic review was to explore associations between meal patterns and the risk of childhood OV/OB and MUO in children/adolescents aged 2–19 years. Longitudinal studies and randomised controlled trials from PUBMED and Scopus published between January 2013 and April 2024 were retrieved. Twenty-eight studies were included, all of which reported on OV/OB risk, with none on MUO risk. Regular consumption of breakfast (n = 3) and family meals (n = 4) and avoiding dining while watching TV (n = 4) may be protective factors against childhood OV/OB, whereas meal skipping (primarily breakfast; n = 4) may be a detrimental factor. Mixed effects of meal frequency on OV/OB risk were observed; no effects of frequency of lunch or of fast-food consumption and of meals served at school were found. There was insufficient evidence to support the role of other patterns (meal timing, eating in other social contexts). Meals were mainly participant-identified, leading to increased heterogeneity. Research focusing on childhood MUO and the use of harmonised definitions regarding the assessment of meal patterns are highly warranted.
Share and Cite
MDPI and ACS Style
Saltaouras, G.; Kyrkili, A.; Bathrellou, E.; Georgoulis, M.; Yannakoulia, M.; Bountziouka, V.; Smrke, U.; Dimitrakopoulos, G.; Kontogianni, M.D.
Associations between Meal Patterns and Risk of Overweight/Obesity in Children and Adolescents in Western Countries: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies and Randomised Controlled Trials. Children 2024, 11, 1100.
https://doi.org/10.3390/children11091100
AMA Style
Saltaouras G, Kyrkili A, Bathrellou E, Georgoulis M, Yannakoulia M, Bountziouka V, Smrke U, Dimitrakopoulos G, Kontogianni MD.
Associations between Meal Patterns and Risk of Overweight/Obesity in Children and Adolescents in Western Countries: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies and Randomised Controlled Trials. Children. 2024; 11(9):1100.
https://doi.org/10.3390/children11091100
Chicago/Turabian Style
Saltaouras, Georgios, Athanasia Kyrkili, Eirini Bathrellou, Michael Georgoulis, Mary Yannakoulia, Vasiliki Bountziouka, Urška Smrke, George Dimitrakopoulos, and Meropi D. Kontogianni.
2024. "Associations between Meal Patterns and Risk of Overweight/Obesity in Children and Adolescents in Western Countries: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies and Randomised Controlled Trials" Children 11, no. 9: 1100.
https://doi.org/10.3390/children11091100
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