Processed food and chaotic environment reduce the baby’s functions
According to a study, children who eat a lot of processed foods and grow up in chaotic home environments tend to have lower cognitive abilities.
Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the United States studied the effects of a chaotic home environment on eating habits and executive functioning in children aged 18 to 24 months.
The researchers looked at data from 294 families participating in the Kids2 birth cohort study of the Synergistic Theory of Obesity and Nutrition (STRONG) research group. The study collects data on eating habits, weight changes, family relationships, and other factors since babies turn 6 weeks of age. Parents answered questions about their children that assessed areas of executive functioning, such as inhibition, attention and diversion of duties, emotion regulation, working memory, and planning and organizing skills.
The dietary part was assessed using the Food Frequency Questionnaire. In addition, the Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale (CHAOS), which measures the degree of chaos in the home environment, was used to assess whether the environment in which the child grew up was quiet and regular, noisy, crowded, and prone. to disorder.
As a result of the analysis, the more chaotic the home environment, the lower the scores in all five areas of executive functions. “If the environment is noisy and chaotic, the child may not understand the signals around him, and the environment lacking routine and regularity can affect attention and emotional regulation,” said the researchers.
Also, the more processed foods they eat, the lower their working memory, planning and organizing skills, and the lower their ability to convert and control emotions. Children who ate more snacks and processed foods showed lower cognitive abilities in several areas than those who ate less of these foods.
“The results of this study support the idea that the nature of the home environment, particularly the chaotic environment, can influence the development of executive functioning skills in children,” said the researchers. Focusing on activities and supports to reduce intake will help alleviate executive functioning problems. “
“Children’s unhealthy eating habits also appear to be related to their home environment,” he added.
Researchers are planning follow-up studies on children and families from the same family to better understand how the home environment and diet affect executive function during children’s development.
The family included in this study is predominantly white, and it is noted as a limitation that it is not clear whether this finding can be generalized to other groups in an economically stable environment.
The results of this study were published in the journal Nutrients.
