Abstract:

This study aims to identify the nutritional conditions and eating habits of children applying to the Department of Pediatric Endocrinology Science, to evaluate the relationship between their nutritional conditions and certain biochemical parameters. The study was conducted on more than 300 children (150 men/150 girls) between the ages of 7-11 years (9,0±1,4 years). Three-day food consumption records were taken to assess the nutritional conditions. The data obtained were compared with the recommended portion amounts of foods in the Special Nutrition and Nutrition Guide to Turkey (2015) with the recommended portion amounts. Anthropometric measurements of children (body weight, length, back circle, triseps skin curved thickness, upper middle arm circle) were taken by researchers. The biochemical parameters are recorded from the patient files. According to the body mass index classification, 22.3 percent of the children involved in the study were normal weight, 15.3 percent overweight and 62.4 percent obese. The majority of obese children consume milk (43.3%), meat (53.5%) and bread and bread group (54.0%) more than recommended, and vegetable and fruit group (41.7%) less than recommended. In general, milk, meat, bread, fat-sugar groups have been identified a correlation in the positive direction between the consumption quantities and all the anthropometric measurements, while with the consumption of the vegetable-fruit group has been identified a correlation in the negative direction (p<0,01) Meat, bread-fruit and fat-sugar group consumption has been identified a positive direction between the values of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglyceride, ALT and AST, and vegetable-fruit consumption has been identified a negative direction between the values of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol (p<0,05, p<0,01). A sufficient and balanced dietary program can provide healing in anthropometric measurements, lipid and glycemic parameters levels. It is important that national educational programs to increase the knowledge and awareness of children about healthy nutrition are carried out at certain intervals.

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