Fast-food 'link' to child asthma and eczema

Conclusion This cross-sectional study found that for both adolescents and children, fast-food consumption was associated with an increased risk of what the researchers defined as severe asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema. Consumption of fruit at least three times per week, by contrast, was associated with a decreased risk of severe asthma. Although eating a balanced diet including the recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables has many health benefits, there are limitations to this study, some of which were noted by the authors. These limitations include: The cross-sectional study design meant that the children were not followed over time, so we don’t know the order of events. For example, we can’t say whether consumption of fast food occurred before the development of asthma or whether children/adolescents with asthma ate more fast food. Diet and symptoms over the whole year were either self-reported or reported by the parents of the children. This means that they may be subject to recall bias. Not all confounders could be adjusted for and it is possible that there are other underlying factors associated with both dietary habits and risk of these allergic conditions. For example, the researchers only adjusted for socioeconomic status at the country level, rather than at the individual level. Diagnoses of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema – in particular what the researchers defined as ‘severe’ cases of these conditions – were...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Food/diet Pregnancy/child Source Type: news