Dietary Patterns and Childhood Obesity Risk: A Systematic Review

Background: Childhood overweight and obesity are recognized as predictors of the risk of obesity in adulthood. The aim of this systematic literature review was to determine the association between dietary pattern and obesity risk among children. Methods: Articles were selected from databases (Cochrane Library, Lilacs, Eric, Livivo, and PubMed/Medline), without limitations regarding language or date. Database-specific search terms included the key words "obesity," "diet," "dietary pattern," "childhood," "children," "adolescents," and relevant synonyms. The review included studies that reported the assessment of the dietary pattern in childhood and that correlated eating patterns with the obesity risk through cluster analysis (CA) and/or factor analysis and/or principal component analysis and presented odds ratios (ORs). The methodology of the selected studies was evaluated using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Analytical Cross-Sectional Studies. Owing to the heterogeneity among the assessments of the association of dietary patterns and obesity, the results are described narratively. Results: Using a selection process in two phases, 16 articles were included. Fifteen studies used a cross-sectional design, and one case-control study. The included studies showed variation in sample size (range=232 to 10,187 children/adolescents) and age (range=1-19 years old). The studies reported between two and five dietary patterns each. The OR for the relationship between the dietary pattern and the risk of childhood obesity ranged from OR=1.02; confidence interval (95% CI) (0.91-1.15) to OR=3.55; 95% CI (1.80-7.03). In this study, the dietary patterns identified by the studies were given different names. The food intake patterns identified could, in most factor or CA studies, be categorized as (1) potentially obesogenic foods that increased risk of becoming overweight (including fatty cheeses, sugary drinks, processed foods, fast food, candies, snacks, cakes, animal products, whole milk, and refined grains) or (2) food classified as healthy with the weakest association with the risk of becoming overweight or obese (including low levels of sugar and fat and high levels of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, nuts, legumes, and yogurt). Conclusion: Overall, the results indicated from most studies that a diet with a lower percentage of obesogenic foods should be effective in reducing the risk of developing obesity.