The Study On Relationship Between Parental Nutritional Knowledge And Children' S Diet And Behavior

Objectives To investigate the nutrition knowledge among parents of grade 1 primary school students and the intake frequency of diet of children and their behavioral problems and six kinds of mineral element (Zn,Ca,Fe,Mg,Cu,Pb) content in hair and to analyze the relationship of the parents'nutrition knowledge with the intake frequency of diet and to analyze the relationship of behavioral problems with the intake frequency of diet and to analyze the relationship of mineral elements content with the intake frequency of diet. A survey should be carried out to promote children'growth through early diet intervention and school practical nutrition education programs.Methods Totally 858 first-year students in 2 or 3 primary school of urban, suburban and rural areas in Hefei city selected by stratified cluster sampling. Their parents were surveyed by using CBCL and the self-made questionnaires.Results There was significant difference between different education and occupations of their mothers( F=18.08, P<0.01; F=10.0, P<0.01 ) and so as their fathers (F=31.10, P<0.01; F=15.61, P<0.01). With the increase in average monthly family income parents had better scores of nutrition knowledge ( rs=0.237, p<0.05 ). The parents'scores of nutrition knowledge had negative correlation with the intake frequency of egg and the intake frequency of bean products and the intake frequency of fruit and the intake frequency of nut, then the parents'scores of nutrition knowledge had positive correlation with the intake frequency of carbonated drink and the intake frequency of western fast food and the intake frequency of health food. The boy's bad communication had negative correlation with BMI. The boy's scores of total behavior, schizophrenia, bad communication, compulsion, delinquency, and hyperactivity had negative correlation with the frequency of outdoor activity. The boy's scores of depression had negative correlation with the intake frequency of bean products.The boy's scores of bad communication had positive correlation with the intake frequency of seafood. The boy's scores of social withdraw had negative correlation with the intake frequency of fruit.The girl's scores of total behavior, sex problem, and aggression had negative correlation with the frequency of outdoor activity. The girl's scores of total behavior,depression, schizophrenia and compulsion, sex problem, and aggression had positive correlation with the intake frequency of health food. There was a certain degree of lack and excess of the six kinds of mineral elements in children, the lack was obvious. The lead levels of children were more apparent. The frequency of fruit intake was associated with Cu and Ca content in hair of children of first grade primary. The proportions of the lack of Cu and Ca were larger at the high frequency of fruit intake. Fe, Zn, Ca content with the frequency of the seafood intake is correlated. When the seafood was taken in 1～4 times weekly, the proportions of the overdose of Fe was larger. When the seafood was taken in 1-2 times weekly, the proportions of the lack of Zn was larger. When the seafood was taken in 5-7 times weekly, the proportions of the lack of Ca was larger. Cu content was related with the frequency of carbonated drink. When carbonated drink was taken in 5-7 times weekly, the proportions of the overdose of Cu was larger. Western fast food intake were correlated with Zn and Pb content. The more western fast food intake was taken weekly, the more the proportions of the overdose of Pb was.Conclusions Parents education and occupation are different, the nutritional knowledge of children to grasp the situation is different. The family income and parental nutrition knowledge level were positively correlated. Along with the improvement of parents'nutrition knowledge, children may eat more healthy food. Children behavioral problems and the mineral elements contents is correlated with intake frequency of diet. So we should pay attention to the difference among their occupations, education and family income and perform different forms of health education to improve the nutritional knowledge of parents, especially workers and peasants. Meanwhile, parents should pay more attention to children's behavioral problems too. They should achieve the unity of know and believe and action. They should supply children with various nutrients to meet their growth and development's needs via balanced diet, not by the health foods.