Abstract:
Background: The use of methamphetamine (MA) is a worldwide issue, now emerging into Asian-Pacific regions including New Zealand (NZ) where 7.2% of the NZ population have used MA. Prenatal exposure to MA imparts negative detriments on physical growth, cognition and motor skills for the offspring. Previous research also indicates that maternal use of MA exposes the child to suboptimal post-natal environments that indirectly affect overall health and development. To our knowledge, this is the first study on nutrition and MA-exposure. Aim: To examine the dietary patterns of MA-exposed children and to compare these patterns to the dietary intake of an aged-matched comparison group. Design: The cross-sectional Infant Development, Environment and Lifestyle (IDEAL) study is a follow up of the NZ-IDEAL cohort at 54-months. The current study examined dietary data obtained from a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) administered at 54-months to MA-exposed (n= 107) and comparison mother-infant pairs (n=137). Associations between MA-exposure and MA–non exposure and dietary intake were examined. Results: Children from the MA-exposed group were significantly more likely to consume foods from the categories: sweets and snack foods (P=0.044) and discretionary drinks (P=0.047). Children from both groups did not meet the New Zealand Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Healthy Children and Young People (Food and Nutrition Guidelines) for the number of breads and cereal servings per day. Conclusion: In NZ, MA-exposed children were likely to eat and drink more foods and beverages higher in sugar, salt, and fat as compared to the comparison children. This research provides an interesting starting point to explore the effects of MA on diet.