LONDON, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Sugar intake can be indicative of the general function of a family, researchers said, after finding a link between the two in a recent study.
Researchers said that children in more functional families were two-thirds less likely to consume more than 4 sugary snacks or beverages per day. This was true for families regardless of education or financial status -- it was directly related to daily activities and emotions shared among members of a family.
"We live in a very materialistic world but material resources alone cannot fulfill us," said Wagner Marcenes, a professor at Queen Mary University College of London, in a press release. "We also need to meet our psychological needs. A functional family is a major source of pleasure in life, providing comfort and reward. In contrast, dysfunctional families are a major source of frustration and stress -- and this can lead to high sugar consumption in the search for the 'feel-good' effect."
For the study, researchers defined family as broadly as possible, including single and divorced parents, co-habiting, and same-sex parents, in addition to the traditional mother-father-child household. Effective family function was defined as a family that positively resolves problems, managing life and family interactions through clear communication, well-defined roles and flexible behavior control.
The researchers reviewed surveys and data on 1,174 children between the ages of 3 and 4, and their parents, using data from the East London Family study.
The data showed that children from "more functional families" had a 67 percent lower chance of consuming 4 or more sugary foods or drinks each day, compared with those from lower functioning families. This was true, researchers reported, regardless of families' financial situation, educational attainment, and neighborhood quality.
The next step to lowering the amount of sugar children consume -- which has been linked to health risks such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease and tooth decay -- will come with better methods of intervention for families that function poorly.
"Public health needs to move beyond the naive belief that health education based on risk awareness raising programs alone will lead to behavioral change across the population," Marcenes said. "If this were the case, doctors and nurses would not smoke, drink above the limit and eat sweets. It is crucial to understand why we crave for sugar and to identify factors that help people to deal with sugar craving. We need to focus on the wider determinants of health behavior and lifestyle, such as socio-psychological factors."
The study is published in the Journal of Caries Research.
