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Comparison of Patterns and Knowledge of Benefits and Warnings of Fish Consumption Between Parents and Children

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Abstract

We examined generational differences in fish consumption and knowledge of benefits/warnings of fish consumption among parents and children. This cross-sectional study gathered self-administered questionnaire data, including demographics, fish consumption behavior (including specific fish species) and knowledge of fish consumption warnings and benefits. Fish were later grouped into four categories by potential mercury contamination. Descriptive statistics were conducted for all variables comparing all adults and children. Benefit/risk knowledge variables were also descriptively analyzed among parent–child pairs only. Multivariate Poisson regression was conducted on pairs to assess risk factors for children eating higher mercury fish. 421 adults and 207 children (171 adult-child pairs) participated (family response rate: 71 %). Slightly more adults (97.6 %) ate fish in the last year than children (92.3 %); however, there was no difference between consumption of fish by category of potential mercury contamination. Both adults (44 %) and children (45 %) ate high-mercury fish. In 71 % of parent–child pairs, both the parent and the child knew of benefits of consuming fish; only 31 % knew of warnings. Parental consumption of high or moderately-high-mercury fish was related to the child’s consumption of fish in the same category. Parents and children need additional education to make better choices about fish consumption. Education should target the family and include specifics about benefits and risks.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. New York State Department of Health, Center for Environmental Health, Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology, Empire State Plaza, Corning Tower, Room 1203, Albany, NY, 12237, USA

    Michele L. Herdt-Losavio, Shao Lin, Ming Luo & Syni-An Hwang

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, State University of New York at Albany, Rensselaer, NY, USA

    Michele L. Herdt-Losavio, Ming Luo & Syni-An Hwang

  3. Department of Environmental Health Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, USA

    Shao Lin

  4. Chinese School of the Capital District of New York, Latham, NY, USA

    Ming Chen & Jianzhong Tang

Authors
  1. Michele L. Herdt-Losavio
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  2. Shao Lin
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  3. Ming Chen
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  4. Ming Luo
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  5. Jianzhong Tang
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  6. Syni-An Hwang
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Correspondence to Michele L. Herdt-Losavio.

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Herdt-Losavio, M.L., Lin, S., Chen, M. et al. Comparison of Patterns and Knowledge of Benefits and Warnings of Fish Consumption Between Parents and Children. Matern Child Health J 18, 1258–1264 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-013-1360-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-013-1360-4

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