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The transition from childhood to adolescence is a sensitive period, triggering changes in health- and weight-related behaviours including eating habits which likely vary between girls and boys. We aimed to characterise the changes in the frequency of consumption of select sugary foods and drinks ('sweet treats') among 4237 Finnish girls and boys during a 2-year follow-up period. Additionally, we examined four subgroups: children whose weight or waist normalised as well as children whose weight or waist circumference increased during follow-up. An FFQ was completed at 11 center dot 1 (sd 0 center dot 9) and again at 13 center dot 4 (sd 1 center dot 1) years of age. A sum variable sweet treat index (STI, range 0-84) captured the weekly consumption frequencies of sweet treats. From baseline to follow-up, the mean STI decreased among girls from 7 center dot 1 (95 % CI 6 center dot 9, 7 center dot 3) to 6 center dot 0 (95 % CI 5 center dot 9, 6 center dot 2) (P < 0 center dot 001) and boys from 8 center dot 5 (95 % CI 8 center dot 3, 8 center dot 8) to 7 center dot 8 (95 % CI 7 center dot 6, 7 center dot 8) (P < 0 center dot 001), although both sexes increased their chocolate/sweets consumption: girls from 1 center dot 3 (95 % CI 1 center dot 3, 1 center dot 4) to 1 center dot 6 (95 % CI 1 center dot 5, 1 center dot 6) (P < 0 center dot 001) and boys from 1 center dot 4 (95 % CI 1 center dot 3, 1 center dot 4) to 1 center dot 6 (95 % CI 1 center dot 6, 1 center dot 7) (P < 0 center dot 001), and boys increased their soft drink consumption from 1 center dot 4 (95 % CI 1 center dot 3, 1 center dot 4) to 1 center dot 5 (95 % CI 1 center dot 4, 1 center dot 5) (P = 0 center dot 020). We found similar decreases in both the weight and waist subgroups. To conclude, the total frequency of consumption of sweet treats decreased during early adolescence. A similar trend across subgroups suggests that the frequency of consumption of sweet treats is unrelated to becoming overweight.

Convincing evidence suggests that diets laden with added sugar, specifically sugar-sweetened beverages, associate with excess weight in children. The relationships between sugar consumption frequency and BMI remain less well studied. We, therefore, evaluated children's consumption frequency of selected sugary products (n8461; mean age 11 center dot 1 (sd0 center dot 9) years) selected from the Finnish Health in Teens cohort study. Using a sixteen-item FFQ including six sugary products (chocolate/sweets, biscuits/cookies, ice cream, sweet pastry, sugary juice drinks and sugary soft drinks), we calculated a Sweet Treat Index (STI) for the frequency of weekly sugary product consumption and categorised children based on quartiles (Q) into low (Q1, cut-off 10 center dot 5), and as thin, normal and overweight/obese based on the measured BMI. Through multinomial logistic regression analyses, we found that subjects with a high STI exhibited a higher risk of being thin (OR 1 center dot 20, 95 % CI 1 center dot 02, 1 center dot 41) and lower risk of being overweight (OR 0 center dot 79, 95 % CI 0 center dot 67, 0 center dot 92), while subjects with a low STI were at higher risk of being overweight (OR 1 center dot 32, 95 % CI 1 center dot 14, 1 center dot 53). High consumption frequencies of salty snacks, pizza and hamburgers most closely were associated with a high STI. Our findings suggest that consuming sugary products at a high frequency does not associate with being overweight. The relationship between a low consumption frequency and being overweight suggests that overweight children's consumption frequency of sugary products may be controlled, restricted or underreported.

Purpose - To validate the Children’s Eating Attitudes Test (ChEAT) in the Finnish population. Materials and methods - In total 339 children (age 10–15 years) from primary schools in Southern Finland were evaluated at two time points. They answered the ChEAT and SCOFF test questions, and had their weight, height and waist circumference measured. Retesting was performed 4–6 weeks later. Test–retest reliability was evaluated using intra-class correlation (ICC), and internal consistency was examined using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (C-alpha). ChEAT was cross-calibrated against SCOFF and background variables. Factor analysis was performed to examine the factor structure of ChEAT. Results - The 26-item ChEAT showed high internal consistency (C-alpha 0.79), however, a 24-item ChEAT showed even better internal consistency (C-alpha 0.84) and test–retest reliability (ICC 0.794). ChEAT scores demonstrated agreement with SCOFF scores (p p Conclusions - ChEAT is a valid and reliable tool for measuring eating attitudes in Finnish children. The 24-item ChEAT showed higher reliability than the 26-item ChEAT.

The incidences of both paediatric obesity and autoimmune diseases have been increasing, but their relationship with one another is unclear.To determine whether obesity or particular dietary patterns in school-aged children are potential risk factors for autoimmune diseases during adolescence.This matched case-control study included 525 children, followed up from a median age of 11.3 to 16.7 years. Of them, 105 children received primary autoimmune diagnoses (diabetes, thyroiditis, arthritis, or inflammatory bowel diseases) after baseline and generated the case group. Four children with matching age, sex, and residential area generated the control group of 420 children. At baseline, age- and sex-specific body mass index categories were acquired and waist-to-height ratio (WHTR) was calculated. Central obesity was present when WHTR ≥0.5. Dietary patterns were analysed using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ).School-aged children with central obesity were 2.11 (OR, 95% CI 1.11-3.98) times more likely to develop autoimmune diseases before age of 19 years than those without central obesity. Being overweight was not related to the onset of these diseases (OR 1.60, 95% CI 0.89-2.87, nor were dietary patterns.Central obesity in school-aged children was related to the development of autoimmune diseases, while being overweight and dietary patterns were not.

Dental caries is a biofilm-mediated, dynamic disease with early onset. A balanced salivary microbiota is a foundation of oral health, while dysbiosis causes tooth decay. We compared the saliva microbiota profiles in children with and without caries. The study consisted of 617 children aged 9–12 years from the Finnish Health in Teens (Fin-HIT) study with available register data on oral health. Caries status was summarised based on Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index in permanent dentition. The children were then classified into the following two groups: DMFT value ≥ 1 was considered as cavitated caries lesions (hereafter called ‘caries’) (n = 208) and DMFT = 0 as ‘cavity free’ (n = 409). Bacterial 16S rRNA gene (V3–V4 regions) was amplified using PCR and sequenced by Illumina HiSeq. The mean age (SD) of the children was 11.7 (0.4) years and 56% were girls. The children had relatively good dental health with mean DMFT of 0.86 (1.97). Since sex was the key determinant of microbiota composition (p = 0.014), we focused on sex-stratified analysis. Alpha diversity indexes did not differ between caries and cavity free groups in either sexes (Shannon: p = 0.40 and 0.58; Inverse Simpson: p = 0.51 and 0.60, in boys and girls, respectively); neither did the composition differ between the groups (p = 0.070 for boys and p = 0.230 for girls). At the genus level, Paludibacter and Labrenzia had higher abundances in the caries group compared to cavity free group in both sexes (p Paludibacter and Labrenzia. These bacteria presumably enhance salivary acidification, which contributes to progression of dental caries. The clinical relevance of our findings warrants further studies.

Relatively convincing evidence suggests that diets with large amounts of added sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened beverages, are associated with excess weight in children. Less is known about the association of consumption frequency of sugary foods with body mass index (BMI). We evaluated frequency of sugary food consumption in children (n = 8,990, mean age 11.1, ± 0.9) from the Finnish Health in Teens (Fin-HIT) cohort study. They answered a questionnaire including a 16-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and lifestyle-related questions, e.g. sleep duration and leisure time physical activity. Their measured BMI was categorized as underweight, normal-weight, and overweight. Based on the FFQ with six sugary food items (chocolate/sweets, biscuits/cookies, ice cream, sweet pastry, sugary juice drinks and sugary soft drinks), a sugary food index (SFI) was derived to indicate a mean frequency of weekly sugary food consumption. Frequency was estimated with a range of 0–14 times a week. Based on quartiles (Q) of SFI, children were categorized as low (Q1, cut-off < 0.7), medium (Q2 + Q3, cut-off 0.7–1.8), and high (Q4, cut-off > 1.8) consumers. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to obtain odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals. Compared with normal-weight children, high consumers had a higher risk for underweight (OR 1.22 [1.04; 1.43]) and a lower risk for overweight (OR 0.86 [0.72; 0.97]), and low consumers had a higher risk for overweight (OR 1.32 [1.14; 1.52]). We further stratified the analysis by sleep duration since we found an interaction between sleep duration and SFI (p < 0.001). In children with recommended sleep duration (n = 8070), we yielded similar results as in the whole group. In children who slept more than recommended (n = 191), high consumers had a higher risk for overweight (OR 3.31 [1.30; 8.42]) compared with normal-weight children. Our results suggest that consuming sugary foods with high frequency is not associated with overweight, except in those sleeping more than recommended. Association between low consumption frequency and overweight may imply that overweight children's consumption frequency of sugary foods is controlled, restricted, or under-reported because of social desirability.