Abstract
Background: The number of children and adolescents with obesity has increased worldwide. Some studies have found an increase in the intake of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) to be beneficial for weight and obesity status. The objectives of this study were to examine if intake of trans-fatty acids (TFA) and n-3 LCPUFA at school start was associated with weight and body fat development in the following 3 and 7 years, and if substituting other fats for n-3 LCPUFA in regression models influenced weight and body fat development.
Methods: A total of 285 children (boys:130, girls:155) were included in this study. Weight, height and skinfold thickness (SF) of children were measured at age 6, 9 and 13 years by trained research personnel. Multivariate linear regression models were used to investigate the associations between n-3 LCPUFA or TFA intake and subsequent changes in body mass index (BMI) or SF. To investigate substitution effects, we constructed regression models including information on n-3 LCPUFA and all other energy given components of the diet, except for the nutrient to be substituted (all other fats and specific subgroups; saturated fatty acids (SFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and other polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)).
Results: No significant associations were observed between intake of TFA or n-3 LCPUFA and changes in BMI and SF. Also, results from regression analysis showed substituting other fats for n-3 LCPUFA did not associate with BMI or SF development.
Conclusion: The lack of associations between n-3 LCPUFA and TFA and adiposity suggests that fat composition in the diet does not play a major role in obesity development among school-aged children.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 1 |
Journal | BMC Nutrition |
Volume | 8 |
Number of pages | 9 |
ISSN | 2055-0928 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2022 |
Bibliographical note
© 2021. The Author(s).Keywords
- Faculty of Science
- Fatty acids
- Children
- BMI
- Body fat
- Substitution