Introduction
Nutrition is one of the important risk factors for the occurrence of functional gastrointestinal disorders in children. These disorders, including functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), are increasingly prevalent in the pediatric population. Understanding dietary patterns in affected children is crucial for developing preventive and therapeutic strategies.
Aims & Methods
The aim is to study eating behavior disorders in children with functional gastrointestinal disorders and to analyze the diet of children with combined functional gastrointestinal pathology.
Materials and methods: 110 children aged 6 to 18 with functional gastrointestinal disorders were examined. Patients were divided into two groups: 44 with a combination of symptoms of functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome and 66 with functional dyspepsia. The control group consisted of 30 practically healthy children. The diagnosis of functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome was established on the basis of clinical symptoms according to the Rome IV criteria (2016). In order to detect a violation of the nutritional regime, children were interviewed according to a questionnaire developed by us. They also studied the food preferences of schoolchildren using the Youth Adolescent Food Frequency Questionnaire, adapted to the model of children's nutrition in Ukraine.
Results
The frequency of eating disorders (absence of breakfast or full lunch at school, reduced number of meals) in children with functional disorders is higher than in healthy children. In children with overlap syndrome, these disorders were detected statistically significantly more often than in children with isolated functional dyspepsia. In children with functional disorders, the frequency of consumption of vegetables, cereals and cereal products is lower than in healthy children, and the consumption of meat, sausages and confectionery, fast food, chips, nuts, seeds, energy and sweet carbonated drinks, and fruit juices is higher. In children with a combination of functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome, the frequency of consumption of vegetables, cereals, and grain products is lower, and the consumption of confectionery, fast food, energy and sweet carbonated drinks is higher than in children with functional dyspepsia.
We conducted an analysis of nutrition in children with a combined pathology of functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (see table below).
Indicator
Eating less than 3 times a day
| Combined FD and IBS, n = 44, N
14
| % ± m
31.8 ± 7.3*
| Functional Dyspepsia
n = 66, N
8 | % ± m
12.2 ± 4.4
| Control Group
n = 30, N
3 | % ± m
10 ± 5.5
|
Skip breakfast
| 17 | 38.6 ± 7.3*
| 5 | 7.6 ± 3.9
| 4 | 13.3 ± 6.2***
|
Eat sandwiches for breakfast
| 14 | 31.8 ± 6.7
| 27 | 40.9 ± 7.4**
| 4 | 13.3 ± 6.2
|
Eat hot meals for breakfast
| 13 | 29.7 ± 6.6*
| 34 | 51.6 ± 7.5
| 22 | 73.3 ± 8.1***
|
Do not eat lunch at school
| 2 | 4.54 ± 1.51
| 5 | 7.57 ± 3.98
| 0 | - |
Eat lunch in school cafeteria
| 19 | 43.2 ± 7.5
| 42 | 63.2 ± 7.3
| 20 | 66.7 ± 8.6
|
Buy food in school snack bar
| 21 | 47.7 ± 7.53*
| 15 | 22.7 ± 6.3**
| 2 | 6.7 ± 4.5*
|
Bring food from home
| 2 | 4.5 ± 1.5
| 4 | 6.1 ± 3.7**
| 8 | 26.6 ± 8.1*
|
Have an afternoon snack
| 23 | 52.3 ± 7.6*
| 55 | 83.0 ± 5.6
| 27 | 90.0 ± 5.5*
|
Eat dinner
| 43 | 92.7 ± 3.9
| 61 | 92.4 ± 3.9
| 30 | 100 |
Legend:
* – statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between groups I and II;
** – statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between group II and the control group;
*** – statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between group I and the control group.
Conclusion
Violation of the regime and quality of nutrition is a risk factor for the formation of functional gastrointestinal disorders in children, which must be taken into account in treatment.
References
Chouliaras G, Kondyli C, Bouzios I, Spyropoulos N, Chrousos GP, Roma-Giannikou E. Dietary Habits and Abdominal Pain-related Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders: A School-based, Cross-sectional Analysis in Greek Children and Adolescents. J Neurogastroenterol Motil 2019; 25:113-122. https://doi.org/10.5056/jnm17113
Alatas, F. S., Salsabila, K., Amalia, N., & Hanafi, G. (2022). Functional gastrointestinal disorders and nutritional status in junior high school students. Paediatrica Indonesiana, 62(4), 243-8. https://doi.org/10.14238/pi62.4.2022.243-8
Katsagoni CN, Karagianni V-M, Papadopoulou A. Efficacy of Different Dietary Patterns in the Treatment of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review of Intervention Studies. Nutrients. 2023; 15(12):2708. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15122708
