Background

The child-oriented dietary intervention given in the prospective Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project (STRIP) has decreased the intake of saturated fat and lowered serum cholesterol concentration in children from infancy until early adulthood. In this study, we investigated whether the uniquely long-term child-oriented intervention has affected also secondarily parental diet and cardio-metabolic risk factors.

Methods

The STRIP study is a longitudinal, randomized infancy-onset atherosclerosis prevention trial continued from the child's age of 8 months to 20 years. The main aim was to modify the child's diet towards reduced intake of saturated fat. Parental dietary intake assessed by a one-day food record and cardio-metabolic risk factors were analysed between the child's ages of 9-19 years.

Results

Saturated fat intake of parents in the intervention group was lower [mothers: 12.0 versus 13.9 daily energy (E%), p < 0.0001; fathers: 12.5 versus 13.9 E%, p < 0.0001] and polyunsaturated fat intake was higher (mothers: 6.1 versus 5.4 E%, p < 0.0001; fathers: 6.3 versus 5.9 E%, p = 0.0003) compared with the control parents. Maternal total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations were lower in the intervention compared with the control group (mean ± SE 5.02 ± 0.04 versus 5.14 ± 0.04 mmol/l, p = 0.04 and 3.19 ± 0.04 versus 3.30 ± 0.03 mmol/l, p = 0.03, respectively). Paternal cholesterol values did not differ between the intervention and control groups. Other cardio-metabolic risk factors were similar in the study groups.

Conclusions

Child-oriented dietary intervention shifted the dietary fat intakes of parents closer to the recommendations and tended to decrease total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the intervention mothers. Dietary intervention directed to children benefits also parents.