Browsing by master's degree program "Magisterprogrammet i human nutrition och matbeteende"

Tiedekunta/Osasto: Maatalous-metsätieteellinen tiedekunta Laitos: Elintarvike- ja ravitsemustieteiden osasto Tekijä: Sini Maria Närvä Työn nimi: Punaisen ja prosessoidun lihan osittainen korvaaminen palkokasveilla: vaikutus veren rasva-arvoihin ja kehonkoostumukseen terveillä työikäisillä suomalaisilla miehillä Oppiaine: Ihmisen ravitsemus- ja ruokakäyttäytyminen (Opintosuunta: Ihmisen ravitsemus) Työn laji: Maisterintutkielma Aika: Huhtikuu 2021 Sivumäärä: 63 sivua + 1 liite Tiivistelmä: Tausta: Sydän- ja verisuonitaudit (SVT) ovat merkittävin syy sairastuvuuteen ja kuolleisuuteen länsimaissa. SVT:n riskitekijöitä ovat ruokavalion rasvan laatu, veren korkea kolesterolipitoisuus (erityisesti LDL-kolesteroli), ylipaino, tupakointi, diabetes ja kohonnut verenpaine. Miehillä riski sairastua SVT:hin on naisia suurempi. Lisäksi miesten ruokavalio on usein laadultaan naisia heikompi, ja miesten punaisen ja prosessoidun lihan kulutus on liian runsasta suosituksiin nähden. Korvaamalla eläinperäisiä proteiinin lähteitä kasviperäisillä lähteillä voidaan vaikuttaa suotuisasti sydän- ja verisuonitautien riskitekijöihin. Tavoite: Työn tavoitteena oli tutkia, onko veren rasva-arvoissa, kehon painossa ja kehonkoostumuksessa eroja, kun ruokavalion punaista ja prosessoitua lihaa korvataan osittain ei-soijaperäisillä palkokasveilla. Tutkimushypoteesina oli, että punaisen ja prosessoidun lihan korvaaminen osittain palkokasveilla pienentää kokonais- ja LDL-kolesterolipitoisuutta sekä kehon painoa ja rasvamassaa. Menetelmät: Tässä tutkimuksessa käytettiin Papumies-interventiotutkimuksen aineistoa. Tutkittavat olivat 20-65-vuotiaita terveitä suomalaisia miehiä (n=102). Heidät satunnaistettiin kahteen eri interventioryhmään kuuden viikon ajaksi. Toinen ryhmä (liharyhmä) sai punaista ja prosessoitua lihaa ja niistä valmistettuja tuotteita 760 g/vko (25 % päivittäisestä proteiinin saannista). Toinen ryhmä (palkokasviryhmä) sai palkokasveja ja palkokasvituotteita (pääosin herneitä ja härkäpapuja) 20 % päivittäisestä proteiinin saannista sekä punaista ja prosessoitua lihaa 200 g/vko (5 % päivittäisestä proteiinin saannista). Ennen intervention alkua ja sen lopussa kerätystä paastoverinäytteestä analysoitiin kokonais-, HDL- ja LDL-kolesteroli sekä triglyseridipitoisuudet, ja lisäksi mitattiin tutkittavien pituus, paino, vyötärön- ja lantionympärys sekä kehonkoostumus. Ryhmien välisiä eroja näissä muuttujissa intervention loppupisteessä tutkittiin kovarianssianalyysillä käyttäen alkupisteen arvoja kovariaatteina. Tulokset: Alkupisteessä ryhmien välillä ei ollut eroa kolesterolipitoisuuksissa (pois lukien HDL-kolesteroli), painossa, vyötärön- ja lantionympäryksessä tai kehonkoostumuksessa. Intervention lopussa plasman kokonais- ja LDL-kolesterolipitoisuudet (p<0,001 ja p=0,001), kehon paino ja painoindeksi (p=0,031 molemmissa) olivat pienemmät ja HDL-kolesterolipitoisuus suurempi (p=0,030) palkokasvi-ryhmässä liharyhmään verrattuna. Triglyseridipitoisuudessa, vyötärönympäryksessä, vyötärö-lantio-suhteessa, rasvaprosentissa, rasvamassassa, rasvattomassa massassa tai rasvamassan ja rasvattoman massan indeksissä ei havaittu eroja ryhmien välillä intervention lopussa (p>0,05). Johtopäätökset: Punaisen ja prosessoidun lihan osittainen korvaaminen ei-soijaperäisillä palkokasveilla kuuden viikon ajan paransi veren rasva-arvoja ja vähensi painoa terveillä työikäisillä miehillä, mikä viittaa sydän- ja verisuonitautiriskin pienemiseen. Tätä tietoa voidaan hyödyntää suunniteltaessa toimenpiteitä terveellisemmän ja ympäristön kannalta kestävämmän ruokavaliosuosituksen laatimisessa väestötasolla. Avainsanat – Nyckelord – Keywords: Ravitsemus, ei-soijaperäiset palkokasvit, punainen liha, plasman lipidit, sydän- ja verisuonitaudit Säilytyspaikka – Förvaringställe – Where deposited: Maatalous-metsätieteellinen tiedekunta, Elintarvike- ja ravitsemustieteiden osasto, Helsingin yliopisto Muita tietoja – Övriga uppgifter – Additional information: Ohjaajat: Suvi Itkonen, ETT, dosentti; Anne-Maria Pajari, apulaisprofessori

Johdanto: Fitnessurheilijoiden kilpailuihin valmistavan kausi kestää noin 2–6kk, jonka aikana he pyrkivät vähentämään kehon rasvamassan määrää ja ylläpitämään lihasmassaa. Ravitsemuksella on merkittävä rooli paitsi näiden kehonkoostumustavoitteiden saavuttamisessa myös urheilijan terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin ylläpitämisessä. Pitkään jatkuva energiavajeen seurauksena elimistö pyrkii saavuttamaan uuden homeostasian vähentämällä energiankulutusta muun muassa kilpirauhashormonipitoisuuksia säätelemällä. Tavoitteet: Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli tarkastella fitnessurheilijoiden ravinnon saantia ja kehonkoostumuksen muutoksia kilpailuihin valmistavalla kaudella sekä siitä palauttavalla kaudella. Lisäksi tarkasteltiin kilpailuihin valmistavan kauden vaikutusta kilpirauhashormonipitoisuuksiin. Menetelmät: Tutkimuksessa seurattiin 9 nais- ja 12 mieskilpailijan valmistautumista syksyn 2019 suomenmestaruuskilpailuihin. Heidän kilpailuihin valmistava kausi kesti keskimäärin 21 viikkoa, jota seurasi keskimäärin yhtä pitkä palauttava kausi. Verrokkiryhmässä oli 22 tavoitteellisesti harjoittelevaa miestä ja naista, jotka eivät laihduttaneet. Tutkittavilta mitattiin veren kilpirauhashormonipitoisuudet (T3 ja T4) ja kehonkoostumus (DXA) ennen kilpailuihin valmistavan kauden alkua, sen lopussa sekä 21 viikon palauttavan kauden jälkeen. Lisäksi tutkittavat täyttivät ruokapäiväkirjaa, jonka avulla arvioitiin energian- ja ravintoaineiden saantia. Ryhmien väliseen vertailuun käytettiin riippumattomien otosten t-testiä ja ajallisia muutoksia arvioitiin toistomittausten varianssianalyysillä. Lineaarisella regressioanalyysillä arvioitiin kilpailuihin valmistavan kauden lopun T3-pitoisuuksiin vaikuttavia tekijöitä. Tulokset: Kilpailuihin valmistavan kauden aikana tutkittavien energian- ja hiilihydraattien saanti sekä rasvamassan määrä ja T3-pitoisuudet laskivat merkittävästi (p-arvot <0,001). Kaikki arvot palautuivat keskimäärin ennalleen palauttavan kauden aikana rasvamassan nousun myötä. Regressioanalyysi osoitti, että kilpailukauden lopun T3-pitoisuutta selitti vahvimmin rasvamassan määrä (p-arvo <0,001). Lisäksi hiilihydraattien osuus oli naisilla, mutta ei miehillä, merkittävä tekijä (p-arvo 0,002). Johtopäätökset: Kilpailuissa vaaditun kehonkoostumuksen saavuttaminen tapahtui energian ja hiilihydraattien saannin laskemisella alle urheilijoille laadittujen suositusten. Painonpudotuksen myötä myös T3-pitoisuudet laskivat merkitsevästi. Hormonipitoisuudet näyttävät kuitenkin palautuvan 21 viikkoa kestäneen palauttavan kauden aikana, kun kehon rasvamassa palautuu lähtötasolle.

Tausta: Ruokaympäristömme on muuttunut merkittävästi viimeisimpien vuosikymmenten aikana. On esitetty, että muun muassa suurentuneet pakkauskoot, aiempaa laajempi valikoima epäterveellisiä elintarvikkeita sekä näiden tuotteiden markkinointi on yhteydessä lasten ruokavalioon. Lisääntyneen ylipainon ja lihavuuden on selitetty johtuvan ruokaympäristössä tapahtuvista muutoksista. On myös ajateltu, että terveyden edistämisen tulisi kohdistua ympäristön, ei ainoastaan yksilön, käyttäytymisen muuttamiseen. Epäterveellisten elintarvikkeiden markkinointia koskevat rajoitukset on nähty lupaavana keinona ohjata lasten ruokaympäristöä terveyttä edistävämpään suuntaan. Päätöksenteko edellyttää luotettavia menetelmiä elintarvikkeiden ravitsemuksellisen laadun arvioimiseksi. Tavoite: Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli arvioida suomalaisten lapsiperheiden tyypillisesti ostamien epäterveellisten elintarvikkeiden ravitsemuksellista laatua kolmella eri ravitsemusprofilointimenetelmällä. Lisäksi tutkimuksen avulla selvitettiin, kuinka hyvin ravitsemusprofilointimenetelmät erottelivat epäterveelliset elintarvikkeet niitä vastaavista terveellisemmistä vaihtoehdoista. Tutkimuksessa selvitettiin myös eri profilointimenetelmien yhtenevyyttä ja sitä, missä määrin eri profilointimenetelmillä saadut tulokset olivat keskenään eriäviä. Menetelmät: Tutkimuksen aineiston muodostivat 73 elintarviketta, jotka valittiin laajan suomalaisen ostodatan (vuosi 2018) perusteella niiden tuoteryhmien joukosta, jotka edustivat suomalaisten lapsiperheiden ostamia epäterveellisiä elintarvikkeita. Epäterveellisille elintarvikkeille valittiin omista tuoteryhmistä terveellisemmät vertailutuotteet. Aineistoon kuului lisäksi muutamia hampurilaisravintoloiden ruokia sekä referenssielintarvikkeita, kuten leipiä ja hedelmiä. Elintarvikkeet profiloitiin Nutri-Scorella, WHOEuro-mallilla sekä tätä tutkimusta varten kehitetyllä, suomalaisten ravistemussuositusten päivittäisiin saantisuosituksiin perustuvalla Findexillä. Vertailevat analyysit tehtiin tilastollisin analyysimenetelmien käyttäen SPSS 26 -tilasto-ohjelmaa. Tulokset: Eri ravitsemusprofilointimenetelmät arvioivat elintarvikkeiden ravitsemuksellista laatua melko yhtenevästi, mutta pieniä eroja niiden välillä havaittiin. Nutri-Score ja Findex olivat lähempänä toisiaan WHOEuron ollessa profilointimenetelmistä kriittisin. Eri menetelmät erottelivat epäterveelliset tuotteet terveellisemmistä vaihtoehdoista melko hyvin, mutta Findexin erottelukyky oli hieman Nutri-Scorea parempi johtuen osin Nutri-Scoren tunnistetusta ominaisuudesta profiloida systemaattisemin epäterveellisiä kuin terveellisiä tuotteita. Johtopäätökset: Jokaiseen ravitsemusprofilointimalliin liittyi sekä vahvuuksia että rajoituksia. Findex osoittautui tutkimuksessa lupaavaksi ja siihen liittyviä perusteita on tarkoituksenmukaista hyödyntää mahdollisesti olemassa olevien profilointimallien kehittämisessä ja yhteiseurooppalaisen ravitsemusprofilointimallin ja siihen perustuvan pakkausmerkinnän kehittämisessä. Markkinoinnin rajoittaminen tarjoaa mahdollisuuden vaikuttaa lasten ruokaympäristöön ja edelleen ruokavalion terveellisyyteen. Markkinoinnin rajoittamisella voidaan parhaimmillaan vähentää paljon lisättyä sokeria, suolaa, tyydyttynyttä rasvaa ja vähän terveyden kannalta hyödyllisiä ravintoaineita, kuten kuitua, sisältävien elintarvikkeiden osuutta lasten ruokavaliossa.

There are only few studies about diet of food pantry recipients or quality of their diet. Previous studies have found out that food pantry recipients are elder, more disadvantaged and in lower socioeconomic status compared to general population. The aim of this study was to find out from which food groups the daily diet of food pantry recipients consisted, do there exist different dietary patterns among the food pantry recipients, and are sociodemographic factors, experienced wealth and vulnerability associated with the diet. In addition, experiences about convenience of food donated in food aid for cooking and possibilities to prepare warm meals among food pantry recipients, and association between convenience, possibilities and diet, were studied. This study was a cross-sectional study and the data consisted of participants in the project called From food pantry to participation (Ruokajonosta osallisuuteen -hanke). Diet was studied by using the Diet and lifestyle questionnaire form that included 7-sections - food frequency questionnaire. Closed questions were applied to study experiences about convenience of food donated in food aid, possibilities to prepare meal and economic situation. T-tests and variance analysis were used to study differences between the groups, and regression analysis were used to study associations between diet and background factors. Principal component analysis was used to detect dietary patterns. The study population consisted of 137 participants from different parts of Finland. 114 participants were included in the final analysis. 45 % were men and 78 % were retired. There was a need for improvements in the diet. Less than half of the participants consumed vegetables, berries and fruits daily. Dairy products, dietary fats and grains were eaten daily by every third. 58 % ate fish 1–2 times per week. Eggs and meat were eaten 3–5 times per week by 33 %, and daily by 23 % respectively. 53 % of food pantry recipients felt that food donated in food aid was convenient for cooking. 83 % cooked often or quite often. In this study two dietary patterns were detected; traditional dietary pattern and vegetable-fish -based dietary pattern. The most strongly loaded food groups in the traditional dietary pattern were grains, dairy products, dietary fats, and meat and eggs. Fruits, berries, vegetables and fish were most strongly loaded in the vegetable-fish -based dietary pattern. There was one group that preferred vegetable-fish -based dietary pattern. Factors positively associated with the dietary patterns in this group were older age, female sex, living in an owner-occupied flat, experienced good wealth and low vulnerability, non-smoking and low consumption of alcohol. Convenience of food donated in food aid for cooking and possibilities to prepare a warm meal were not significantly associated with the dietary patterns. The study population represented general food pantry recipients. However, the results cannot be generalized as the population was small. The study indicates that the diet of food pantry recipients needs improvements, and there exist groups with different eating patterns among them. More research is needed to find out if there was an association between the diet of food pantry recipients and the way food aid was implemented in practice. Diet should be studied more precisely in the following studies. Young people and persons having risk of exclusion, and consequences of COVID-19 pandemic for food aid work and food pantry recipients should be studied also.

Background: The optimal nutritional treatment for gestational diabetes (GDM) is still a matter of debate. With increasing rates of GDM and potential negative consequences for the health of mother and child, the best treatment should be established. The Nordic diet with emphasis on plant-based protein show promising health outcomes in other populations but has yet to be investigated in GDM population. The main purpose of the eMOM trial was to compare the healthy Nordic diet (HND) with the currently recommended restriction of carbohydrates (MCRD), and the short-term effects of diet interventions on the percentage of time spent in glucose target range (TIR, <7.8 mmol/L). Methods: This was a randomized crossover where each of the diet interventions (HND and MCRD) were consumed for 3 days with a 3-day wash-out period in between. In total, 42 pregnant women diagnosed with GDM (< 29 + 0 gestational week) were randomized. Glucose data was collected by continuous glucose monitors (CGM, Freestyle Libre®, Abbott, USA) worn for 14 days, and participants gave blood samples before and after diet interventions. The primary outcome was time spent in glucose target range (TIR, < 7.8 mmol/L). TIR, 3-day mean tissue glucose as well as changes in fasting glucose, homeostatic model of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and blood lipids were analyzed with paired samples statistical analyses. Results: 36 women with complete 14 days CGM data were analyzed. Both diet interventions produced a high degree of time spent in the glucose range (98% ± 1.8). The 3-day mean glucose was significantly lower in HND than in MCRD (p=0,049). Fasting insulin (p=0,034), insulin resistance (p=0,03), total and LDL cholesterol (p=0,023 and 0,008) reduced more in the MCRD than the HND. NS differences in any other measure of CGM or blood tests. Conclusions: In this pilot study, participants had a high proportion of TIR in both intervention diets. Well-planned carbohydrate consumption with an emphasis on complex carbohydrates may be as good as conventional carbohydrate restriction for the dietary management of GDM. A larger study with sufficient power is needed to confirm these results.

Background: Food systems and diets affect both human health and the environment. As dietary behaviour adopted in childhood often track to adulthood, the meals served in daycare centres offer a good opportunity for promoting healthy and climate-friendly eating habits in both short- and long-term. Objectives: As part of the FoodStep project, the objectives of this study were to examine compliance with the food-level recommendations, nutrient content per child and climate impacts of the conventional menus in Finnish daycare centers, as well as the potential changes in the compliance with the food-level recommendations, nutrient content per child and climate impacts of the FoodStep menus, modified towards more plant-based diet. Methods: Menus, recipes, and planned portion sizes were used to create hypothetical food diaries, representing the planned foods per child during a full-day daycare. Nutrient calculations were performed for conventional menus and modified FoodStep menus for four Finnish municipalities. Climate impacts of the same meals were calculated at Natural Resources Institute of Finland. Results: In the conventional menus, food-level serving frequency recommendations were not met for several food groups, but the compliance was clearly improved in the modified FoodStep menus in all the municipalities. At nutrient-level, the issues in the two menus were similar in every municipality: compared to the recommendations for daycares, too low proportion of energy was derived from fat and too high from protein. In addition, the planned salt supplies were excessive. The planned supplies of energy and micronutrients fulfilled the recommendations with the only exception of iron in the conventional menu of one municipality. In three of the four municipalities, the FoodStep menu modifications led to markedly reduced climate impacts. Conclusions: More focus in daycare menu planning would be needed to meet both the food- and nutrient-level recommendations. Moderate modifications of the conventional daycare menus – increasing vegetables, fruits, and berries, and sustainable fish species and decreasing meat and dairy products – can improve the compliance with the food-level recommendations and decrease the climate impacts of the menus without negative effects on the nutrient supplies.

Background: The EAT-Lancet Commission proposed a healthy dietary pattern from environmentally sustainable food production systems to guide food system transformation. The EAT-Lancet reference diet comprises mass-based food consumption targets (both point estimates and ranges) for different food groups. Baseline assessments are required to inform the planning of the national food system transformation. Therefore, it is important to identify gaps between the targets and local food consumption. Objectives: The present study aimed to assess the current state of Finnish pre-schoolers’ diet by comparison with the reference diet’s food group level targets. Specifically, the Finnish pre-schoolers’ food consumption was estimated in the food groups of the reference diet. Methods: Data from 807 children (3- to 6-year-olds, 48% girls), were collected in the Increased Health and Wellbeing in Preschools (DAGIS) cross-sectional survey in 2015–2016. Food records, covering from one up to five complete days, were kept by parents and pre-school personnel. Detailed information on foods, such as ingredients of composite dishes and product names for packed foods were recorded. Food record data were decomposed into ingredients by AivoDiet dietary software. Industrial products, such as sausages and biscuits, were manually decomposed into ingredients by estimating the shares of ingredients using product information available on a retailer’s online database and food manufacturers’ webpages. Formulas were developed to calculate the consumption of added sugars. The consumption of dairy products was converted into milk equivalents using factors from the literature. Finally, the ingredients were manually classified into the reference diet’s food groups. The target amounts were set (separately for two age groups) in grams by proportioning the published target amounts (that assume a 2500 kcal diet) to the children’s average reported energy intake. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) method was used to calculate the daily average food consumption and the proportion of children who met targets in each food group. Results: Compared to the point estimate targets, on average, the daily food consumption for 3- to 4-year-olds (n 462) and 5- to 6-year-olds (n 345) differed for vegetables (60% of the target in both age groups); legumes and nuts (below a tenth of the target); whole grains (less than a third of the target); red meat (approximately 5.5 times the target); dairy foods (approximately 5 times the target); tubers (over 2.5 times the target) and added sugar (close to double of the target). Discussion: To enable comparison with the EAT-Lancet reference diet’s food group level targets, an approach for disaggregating children’s food record data was developed. To achieve a more sustainable diet and comply with the EAT-Lancet targets, the Finnish pre-schoolers would need to consume more plant-based foods i.e. vegetables, legumes and nuts, and whole grains, which should replace the refined grains. The consumption of animal proteins, especially red meat and dairy products, would need to be decreased, as well as the consumption of tubers (mainly potato) and added sugar.

We assessed the association between hair cortisol concentration (HCC), a biomarker for long-term stress, and pre-schoolers’ diet on the macronutrient level in this cross-sectional study. The data was collected in 2015-16 from a population of 655 Finnish children of ages 3-6 years. Hair samples of 2cm from the scalp were collected to represent the HCC from the past two months. Macronutrient intake was examined using food diaries filled out by the parents and Early childhood education and Care (ECEC) on behalf of the pre-schoolers. For the socioeconomic status (SES) the parents reported their highest education level reached and family income. We evaluated the association between the pre-schoolers’ HCC and energy percentage (E%) macronutrient intake with univariate and multiple linear regression models. We evaluated three models which we adjusted for varying confounders; Model 1 had no adjustments, model 2 was adjusted with the ISO BMI and energy intake (KJ) and Model 3 had further adjustments with the highest education level and the relative household monthly income. There was no association found between the pre-schoolers’ HCC and macronutrient intake. Our results are in line with a previous study which also assessed the association between HCC and macronutrient intake in E% but not in g/day. Further studies are needed to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between HCC and macronutrient intake in young children.

Background and aim Complementary feeding is defined as the period during which there is a progressive reduction of breastfeeding or formula while the infant is gradually introduced to solid foods at 4-6 months of age. Improper complementary feeding practices, such as introducing solid foods beyond 6 months of age or having a low dietary diversity could lead to negative infant health outcomes. Therefore, it is important to identify factors that might detrimentally affect complementary feeding, such as maternal stress. This thesis aimed to study the associations between maternal stress indicators, the age of solid food introduction, and dietary diversity during complementary feeding within a Finnish birth cohort. Methods The Health and Early Life Microbiota (HELMi) is a longitudinal birth cohort study. Participants of the HELMi cohort included 1055 healthy infants and their parents, mainly residing in the capital region of Finland. Pre-collected data from the HELMi study were used. The data collection occurred between 2016-2018. The main variables used in this thesis were collected via extensive online questionnaires. Binomial logistic regression analyses were used to study whether prenatal and postpartum stress indicators were associated with the age of solid food introduction and/or the infant’s dietary diversity during complementary feeding. Results Late introduction of solid foods (> 6 months) was less likely among infants whose mothers reported moderate or high prenatal stress (moderate prenatal stress OR=0.66, 95%CI 0.45-0.97, high prenatal stress OR 0.62, 95%CI 0.39-0.98), when compared to infants whose mothers reported low prenatal stress. Maternal stress indicators were not associated with low dietary diversity (0-3 food groups introduced) at 6 months of life. Among infants with a low dietary diversity at 9 months of age, mothers were more likely to report high levels of prenatal stress (OR=4.88, 95%CI 1.27-18.79), when compared to mothers with low levels of prenatal stress. Further, infants with a low dietary diversity at 9 months were less likely to have mothers report low to moderate levels of life satisfaction (OR=0.25, 95%CI 0.06-1.02) when compared to mothers with very high life satisfaction. They were also less likely to report moderate levels of infant health worry (OR=0.18, 95%CI 0.05-0.67) when compared to mothers with no infant health worry. Conclusions This is the first study to look at the associations between maternal stress indicators and dietary outcomes during complementary feeding. Maternal stress indicators were associated with the age of solid food introduction and the infant’s dietary diversity at 9 months, but not at 6 months. In future studies on this topic, a more socio-demographically representative sample should be recruited, and validated tools should be used to collect dietary and psychological data. Health practitioners and family clinic workers should be made aware of the possibly long-lasting effects of prenatal stress and consider its possible effects on dietary outcomes during complementary feeding.

Background: It is known that the dietary patterns adopted in childhood tend to persist into adulthood. Since unhealthy diet is, for instance, a considerable risk factor for non-communicable diseases, it is important to promote the formation of healthy eating habits in children. Food fussiness, a rather common phenomenon in preschool-aged children, is an eating behavior that can adversely affect diet quality. Additionally, it can have other adverse effects on the child and the whole family. It can cause stress in caregivers, for instance. Temperament and emotion regulation are among the various individual and environmental factors that can influence children’s eating behaviors. There is evidence on the association between food fussiness and temperament, especially dimensions of emotionality and negative affectivity. More emotional temperament has been linked with higher food fussiness. However, few studies have investigated whether emotion regulation could be associated with food fussiness. Objectives: The objective of this study was to examine the associations of emotion regulation and emotionality to food fussiness in preschool-aged children, and to examine whether emotion regulation interacts with emotionality in predicting food fussiness. These associations were separately examined for anger, fear, sadness, and positive emotions / exuberance. A secondary objective was to examine the prevalence of fussy eating behavior. Methods: This study was cross-sectional using the baseline data of a feasibility study which tested the effectiveness of an educational mobile application among preschool-aged children in Finland and in Poland. 326 children participated in the study at baseline, and 298 had complete data of the food fussiness measure. Emotion regulation and emotionality were assessed with the Emotion Questionnaire, and food fussiness was assessed with a subscale of the Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ), which both are caregiver-report questionnaires. Linear regression models were used to examine the associations of emotion regulation and emotionality to food fussiness. The prevalence of food fussiness was examined according to cut-offs for the CEBQ subscale (3.00 for moderate or higher food fussiness and 3.33 for severe fussiness), and the difference in the prevalence between the Polish subsample and the Finnish subsample was examined with a chi-square test. Results: The (down)regulation of anger was negatively associated with food fussiness (p=0.022). Emotionality was not associated with food fussiness, in terms of any of the emotions, nor did emotionality and emotion regulation interact. In addition, the prevalence of moderate or higher food fussiness (cut-off 3.00) was significantly (p=0.049) higher in Poland (61%) than in Finland (49%). Conclusions: These results suggest that emotion regulation, possibly specifically in relation to anger, is associated with fussy eating behavior. The direction of the association between anger regulation and food fussiness was in line with previous studies on the association between emotion regulation (or parallel concepts) and food fussiness. The possible causal relationship and mechanisms are subjects for further research.