Abstract
Background: Recent studies have reported that asthma prevalence increases on migration to Australia. We hypothesised that changes in dietary intake contribute to this phenomenon. The aim of this study was to assess dietary intake in relation to migration status, length of stay in Australia and the association with self-reported wheeze.
Methods: Students (n = 144) in a multicultural high school in Western Sydney completed the asthma symptoms ISAAC video questionnaire (AVQ3.0), spirometry and allergy skin prick tests. A dietitian administered a'Food Frequency' and 'Food Habits' questionnaire and a dietary history interview.
Results: Students who spoke a language other than English, consumed a traditional or mixed dietary pattern, with lower consumption of saturated fat, compared to students who spoke English only. Saturated fat intake increased and fibre intake decreased with length of time in Australia. Intake of foods high in saturated or trans fatty acids were positively associated with length of stay in Australia. No associations between nutrient intake or whole food intake and self-reported wheeze were observed.
Conclusion: As time progressed, dietary intake of immigrant children changed. While this was not associated with the development of wheeze in the students in this cohort, these changes are likely to have negative health consequences.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 102 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-9 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | BMC Pediatrics |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 26 Aug 2015 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
© 2015 Wood et al. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.Keywords
- Fibre
- Migration
- Nutrition
- Paediatrics
- Saturated fat