A new study revealed that the level of education of parents influence the way they feed their children. It appears that better-educated parents give their kids healthier foods such as few daily servings of fruits and vegetables, regular fish and and other rich in minerals meals.
The study conducted by Juan Miguel Fernandez Alvira at the University of Zaragoza and his colleagues from other European countries, looked at more than 14,426 children aged between 2 and 9. The results showed that parents who with a lower level of education fed their kids foods that were rich in sugars and fats more often. In comparison, children of better-educated parents ate more fruits and vegetables, pasta, rice and whole meal bread. The researchers said the greatest differences between families with different levels of education were observed in the consumption of fruits, veggies, and sweet drinks.
The children that took part in the study were from various European countries – Italy, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, Hungary, Cyprus and Estonia, places with various traditional eating habits. It seems parent’s education has a greater influence on what kids eat than many other factors. The research also said that lower-educated parents tended to feed kids more sugary and processed foods, as well as more genetically modified foods. The scientists warn that the findings may mean that parents’ lower education leads to greatest risk for childhood allergies, obesity, and even cancer.
Another study however showed that parents who were more educated didn’t vaccinate their children. It followed nearly 12,000 American families and discovered that mothers who hadn’t finished high school were in fact around 16 percent more likely to complete the whole vaccination schedule for their kids, compared to mothers graduated from college. What’s more interesting – the poorest kids were as often vaccinated as the ones who came from the richest families.
It seems that better education of the parents may and at the same time, may not lead to kids’ better health. Although during the rapid growth period of childhood the requirements for energy and nutrients increase, doctors say we need to monitor kids’ diet which is in fact, not so different from that for adults. And using food as method to award or punish the child’s behavior should be avoided.
