By Stephen Beech via SWNS
People planning on becoming parents still don’t eat enough fresh fruit – just like their moms and dads, according to new research.
Young people in the UK today smoke less and drink less booze than their parents and grandparents, say scientists.
But their findings show teenagers and young adults are now far more likely to be overweight than previous generations.
The study, published in the journal PLOS One, provides a picture of preconception health across three generations in the UK.
The findings highlight generational health trends among today’s adolescents and young adults.
Some unhealthy habits – such as smoking and soda consumption – have decreased over time while rates of overweight and obesity have increased.
Study lead author Olivia Righton said the findings have “broad implications” for reducing health disparities and designing targeted public health interventions.
Righton, a PhD Student in Nutritional Sciences at King’s College London, said: “Optimising health in women and men before conception can improve pregnancy outcomes, reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases in both parents and improve childhood health.
“Prior research has shown that many women enter pregnancy with risk factors that put them at higher risk for complications – poor diet, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity – that disproportionately affect those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“The UK has established initiatives to optimize and reduce inequalities in preconception health, and while there have been studies on women’s health during prenatal visits, there hasn’t been a national picture of preconception health of men and women of reproductive age.”
This study looked at health habits and indicators across adolescence and adulthood in three groups born around 10 years apart.
The research team looked at up to 17,198 people born in 1970, up to 15,770 people born in 1989 or 1990, and up to 19,517 people born in 2000, 2001 or 2002.
Data on various health indicators and behaviors were collected at ages 16 or 17 and 25 or 26.
The study found that some unhealthy habits – such as low fruit consumption – persisted in both men and women across generations.
Other unhealthy habits – such as smoking and drinking alcohol or soda – decreased in younger generations, though the prevalence of obesity increased.
Trends for some key health indicators important for pregnancy health – including folic acid supplementation, cervical screening, and mental health conditions – could not be identified, as they were not consistently reported across the three age groups.
The research team says the trends revealed can help to tailor public health interventions to reduce inequalities and improve the overall health and well-being of the preconception population.
Righton said: “Our findings from multiple generations of adolescents and young adults in the UK show improvements in alcohol, tobacco, and soft drink consumption, but persistent low fruit intake and surging obesity rates.”
She added: “These behaviors have important transgenerational health implications, highlighting the urgent need for public health interventions that target the root causes of health behaviors.”
