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Associations between aspects of diet and internalizing and externalizing behaviors in children aged 4 years
The rising prevalence of mental health issues underscores the importance of identifying preventable factors, particularly in early childhood. This study investigates how dietary habits may influence mental health in four-year-old children, drawing on data from the Early Food for Future Health project in Norway, a randomized controlled trial aimed at enhancing dietary patterns in infants aged 6 to 12 months.
Utilizing a sample of 363 children and their mothers, the research employed food frequency questionnaires to assess various dietary components. Five distinct food scores were established: consumption levels of vegetables, fruits, combined fruit and vegetables, sweet/salty snacks, and soft drinks. To evaluate behavioral outcomes, the Child Behavioral Checklist (CBCL) was utilized to measure both internalizing and externalizing behaviors.
The findings reveal that greater frequency of vegetable consumption and overall fruit and vegetable intake are negatively associated with internalizing behaviors, with a coefficient β = −0.207 (95% CI: 0.351, −0.063). Conversely, higher frequencies of sweet and salty snack intake are positively associated with externalizing behaviors (β = 1.807, 95% CI: 0.276, 3.337), whereas fruit and vegetable consumption shows an inverse relationship with externalizing behaviors (β = −0.188, 95% CI: −0.336, −0.041). Notably, these associations remained consistent regardless of maternal education levels, financial hardships, or maternal mental health conditions.
This study suggests that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables may contribute to improved mental health outcomes in children, highlighting a potential avenue for public health interventions with significant societal benefits. However, due to the observational nature of this analysis, drawing definitive causal conclusions is challenging, emphasizing the need for further intervention research. [NPID: Children, dietary habits, fruits and vegetables, mental health, externalizing, internalizing, behaviors]
Year: 2026
