IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i11p6106-d569582.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Longitudinal Associations between Intake of Fruit and Vegetables and Height Attainment from Preschool to School Entry

Author

Listed:
  • Rafaela Rosário

    (School of Nursing, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
    Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC), 3004-011 Coimbra, Portugal)

  • Mina Nicole Händel

    (Research Unit for Dietary Studies, The Parker Institute, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, DK 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark)

  • Jeanett Friis Rohde

    (Research Unit for Dietary Studies, The Parker Institute, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, DK 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark)

  • Nanna Julie Olsen

    (Research Unit for Dietary Studies, The Parker Institute, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, DK 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark)

  • Berit Lilienthal Heitmann

    (Research Unit for Dietary Studies, The Parker Institute, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, DK 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark
    The Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise & Eating Disorders, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
    Department of Public Health, Section for General Practice, University of Copenhagen, DK 1014 Copenhagen, Denmark)

Abstract

To examine associations between fruit and vegetable intake in young childhood and height attainment during preschool and at school entry. Data for this study was based on “The Healthy Start” primary intervention study, which included 635 obesity-prone children, (58% boys), from the greater Copenhagen area, with a mean (SD) age of 4.0 (1.1) years (age range 2–6 years) at baseline. In the current study, 553 children (57% boys) were included with information on dietary intake at baseline and height measured at baseline (preschool age), and 511 children (56.8% boys) with the height measured at school entry (~6 years old). Height was measured by trained health professionals during the intervention and by school nurses at school entry. Information on intakes of fruit and vegetables, separately and combined, was gathered with four-day dietary records reported by parents. Participants were grouped into tertiles for their intakes at baseline. Compared to boys with low consumption, those with a moderate and high intakes of fruit and vegetables (F&V) had a greater attained height at preschool of 1.3 cm (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.3; 2.3) and at school entry of 2.4 cm (95% CI: 0.8; 3.9) and 1.8 cm (95% CI: 0.2; 3.4), respectively, also after adjustment for differences in age, body mass index (BMI), and total energy intake. Additional adjustment for mid-parental height and parents’ education did not alter the significant associations between moderate consumption of F&V and attained height at preschool and school entry. There was no association among girls. Our results showed that a moderate consumption of F&V was directly associated with higher attainment in height at preschool and school entry in boys. From a public health perspective, it should be prioritized to continue developing intervention programs to improve fruit and vegetable intake.

Suggested Citation

  • Rafaela Rosário & Mina Nicole Händel & Jeanett Friis Rohde & Nanna Julie Olsen & Berit Lilienthal Heitmann, 2021. "Longitudinal Associations between Intake of Fruit and Vegetables and Height Attainment from Preschool to School Entry," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-11, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:11:p:6106-:d:569582
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/11/6106/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/11/6106/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Christiane Scheffler & Michael Hermanussen & Sugi Deny Pranoto Soegianto & Alexandro Valent Homalessy & Samuel Yan Touw & Sevany Isabella Angi & Queen Sugih Ariyani & Tjahyo Suryanto & Giovanni Kathli, 2021. "Stunting as a Synonym of Social Disadvantage and Poor Parental Education," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-13, February.
    2. Eirini Marouli & Mariaelisa Graff & Carolina Medina-Gomez & Ken Sin Lo & Andrew R. Wood & Troels R. Kjaer & Rebecca S. Fine & Yingchang Lu & Claudia Schurmann & Heather M. Highland & Sina Rüeger & Gud, 2017. "Rare and low-frequency coding variants alter human adult height," Nature, Nature, vol. 542(7640), pages 186-190, February.
    3. Grasgruber, P. & Cacek, J. & Kalina, T. & Sebera, M., 2014. "The role of nutrition and genetics as key determinants of the positive height trend," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 15(C), pages 81-100.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zichen Zhang & Ye Eun Bae & Jonathan R. Bradley & Lang Wu & Chong Wu, 2022. "SUMMIT: An integrative approach for better transcriptomic data imputation improves causal gene identification," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Made Ayu Lely Suratri & Gurendro Putro & Basuki Rachmat & Nurhayati & Ristrini & Noer Endah Pracoyo & Aris Yulianto & Anton Suryatma & Mohamad Samsudin & Raharni, 2023. "Risk Factors for Stunting among Children under Five Years in the Province of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Indonesia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-13, January.
    3. Marco-Gracia, Francisco J. & Puche, Javier, 2021. "The association between male height and lifespan in rural Spain, birth cohorts 1835-1939," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    4. Andjar Prasetyo & Nana Noviana & Weni Rosdiana & M. Arief Anwar & Hartiningsih & Hendrixon & Bekti Putri Harwijayanti & Mochammad Fahlevi, 2023. "Stunting Convergence Management Framework through System Integration Based on Regional Service Governance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-23, January.
    5. Ramon Ramon-Muñoz & Josep-Maria Ramon-Muñoz & Begoña Candela-Martínez, 2021. "Sibship Size, Height and Cohort Selection: A Methodological Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-29, December.
    6. Nazia Pathan & Wei Q. Deng & Matteo Di Scipio & Mohammad Khan & Shihong Mao & Robert W. Morton & Ricky Lali & Marie Pigeyre & Michael R. Chong & Guillaume Paré, 2024. "A method to estimate the contribution of rare coding variants to complex trait heritability," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, December.
    7. Choudhury, Samira & Headey, Derek D., 2018. "Household dairy production and child growth: Evidence from Bangladesh," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 150-161.
    8. Francisco J. Marco-Gracia & Margarita López-Antón, 2021. "Rethinking the Fertility Transition in Rural Aragón (Spain) Using Height Data," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-28, August.
    9. Abu Dalou, Ahmad Yosuf, 2016. "Height of Northern Jordanian middle-class adults, born 1960–1990 in the response to improving socio-economic conditions," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 155-160.
    10. Miloš Hitka & Róbert Sedmák & Pavel Joščák & Lenka Ližbetinová, 2018. "Positive Secular Trend in Slovak Population Urges on Updates of Functional Dimensions of Furniture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-12, September.
    11. Michael Baker & Kirsten Cornelson, 2019. "The Tall and the Short of the Returns to Height," NBER Working Papers 26325, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Sara Dam Kobberø & Michael Gajhede & Osman Asghar Mirza & Søren Kløverpris & Troels Rønn Kjær & Jakob Hauge Mikkelsen & Thomas Boesen & Claus Oxvig, 2022. "Structure of the proteolytic enzyme PAPP-A with the endogenous inhibitor stanniocalcin-2 reveals its inhibitory mechanism," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, December.
    13. Kien Le & My Nguyen, 2022. "The long-run impacts of paid maternity leave on height and educational attainment," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-8, December.
    14. Nassar MF, 2017. "Defying Secular Trend," Current Research in Diabetes & Obesity Journal, Juniper Publishers Inc., vol. 3(3), pages 60-61, August.
    15. Lopuszanska-Dawid, M. & Kołodziej, H. & Lipowicz, A. & Szklarska, A. & Kopiczko, A. & Bielicki, T., 2020. "Social class-specific secular trends in height among 19-year old Polish men: 6th national surveys from 1965 till 2010," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).
    16. Hruschka, Daniel J. & Hackman, Joseph V. & Stulp, Gert, 2019. "Identifying the limits to socioeconomic influences on human growth," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 239-251.
    17. Meinzer, Nicholas J., 2018. "Persisting patterns of human height? Regional differences in living standards in the Early Middle Ages," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 148-167.
    18. Forshaw, Rachel & Kharadi, Natalya & McLaughlin, Eoin, 2023. "Cardiovascular Disease Mortality and Non-Particulate Air Pollution: Evidence from the 20th Century," Accountancy, Economics, and Finance Working Papers 2023-01, Heriot-Watt University, Department of Accountancy, Economics, and Finance.
    19. Grasgruber, P. & Sebera, M. & Hrazdíra, E. & Cacek, J. & Kalina, T., 2016. "Major correlates of male height: A study of 105 countries," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 21(C), pages 172-195.
    20. Francisco J. Marco-Gracia & Javier Puche, 2020. "Did taller people live longer? Influence of height on life span in rural Spain, 1835-2019," Working Papers 0201, European Historical Economics Society (EHES).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:11:p:6106-:d:569582. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.