Parental influences, sweetness preferences and the intake of mono- and disaccharide-containing foods in children aged 4 to 7 years old

Restricting children’s intake of mono- and disaccharides (MDS) containing foods is an often-used strategy by parents to reduce their child’s consumption of sweet products. However, the effects of restriction rules on children’s sweetness preferences and sugar intake are unclear. Moreover, there is concern about a potential ‘backfire effect’, where restriction may result in a stronger appeal and higher intake when children get older and find themselves in unrestricted access to sweet foods and drinks. This study investigated the relationship between parental restriction regarding the consumption of sweet products, sweetness preferences, and added MDS intake in 4-7-year-old children. Parents (N=243) of 4-7-year-old children filled out a questionnaire about their child’s consumption of MDS-containing foods (3-day recall) and parental restrictiveness. A subset (N=60) of parent-child dyads participated in a preference test where the children performed a 2-series forced-choice, paired comparison tracking test with five beverages varying in sweetness intensity. Regression analyses showed that children of more restrictive parents consumed less added MDS per day than children of less restrictive parents.