Commercially produced snack food consumption among children 6-23 months in urban Cambodia, Nepal, and Senegal

Objective: Consumption of foods high in salt or sugar early in life can displace consumption of more nutritious foods during a crucial period of child growth and development. This study sought to assess consumption of commercially produced snack food products among young children in Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Kathmandu, Nepal; and Dakar, Senegal. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 222 Phnom Penh, 228 Kathmandu, and 218 Dakar mothers with a child 6-23 months of age. Mothers were recruited from randomly sampled health facilities and dietary intake data were collected for their child. Results: Consumption of commercially produced snack foods (cookies/biscuits, candy/chocolate, chips/crisps, cakes/doughnuts or soft drinks) was highly prevalent. Three-quarters (74.1%, n=169) of children in Kathmandu, 61.0% (n=133) in Dakar and 56.3% (n=125) in Phnom Penh had consumed a snack product in the day prior to interview. Almost all children had consumed a commercial snack product in the last week (91.2% ...