Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine how the diagnosis of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in one child affects the consumption patterns of milk and fat among nondiabetic siblings. Food habits of 478 Finnish nondiabetic siblings (3–19 years) of children with IDDM (<14 years) were reported on a self-administered questionnaire at the time of diagnosis and four times during a 2-year follow-up period and compared with the food habits of 548 nondiabetic population-based control subjects (5–17 years). The use of high- and low-fat milk, butter on bread, and butter and margarines in food preparation became less common, whereas the use of skim milk, margarines on bread, and oils in food preparation became more common in nondiabetic siblings after the diagnosis of IDDM in the proband. Siblings in farmers’ or low-income families used high-fat milk and butter more often than other siblings before the diagnosis of the proband. Two years after the diagnosis, high-fat milk and butter were still more common in the diet of farmers’ children and in the diet of siblings whose mother's education was short (≤12 years). A recommended dietary change (from high- to low-fat dairy products, from butter to margarines and oils) was more common in the diet of urban children and of siblings whose mothers had a longer education (>12 years). As compared with population-based control subjects, the use of high-and low-fat milk, butter on bread, and butter and margarines in food preparation was less common and the use of skim milk, margarines on bread, and oils in food preparation more common among the nondiabetic siblings 2 years after the diagnosis of IDDM in the proband. The diagnosis of IDDM in a child has significant and beneficial effects on the choice of the type of milk and dietary fat of his/her siblings. Farmers and families in lower socioeconomic groups need more attention to modify the diet after the diagnosis of IDDM in a child.