OBJECTIVES: To assess the relationship between eating food purchased away from home (FAH) and longitudinal change in body mass index (BMI) z-score among girls, and to assess the longitudinal tracking of eating FAH from childhood through adolescence. DESIGN: Participants kept 7-day dietary records at two points in time. The records included the place and time for all foods consumed. We recorded how often participants ate FAH, calculated the percent of total energy derived from FAH, and classified foods as quick-service food, coffee-shop food, or restaurant food. PARTICIPANTS: Healthy girls (n ¼ 101) between the ages of 8 and 12 y at baseline and 11 and 19 y at follow-up participated in a longitudinal study of growth and development at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Analysis of variance was used to assess the relationship between change in BMI z-score and both the frequency of eating FAH and energy derived from eating FAH. The participants' baseline BMI z-score was a significant covariate and was controlled for in both models. We used the kappa coefficient to assess FAH tracking from childhood through adolescence. RESULTS: The frequency of eating quick-service food at baseline was positively associated with change in BMI z-score (F ¼ 6.49, Po0.01). Participants who ate quick-service food twice a week or more at baseline had the greatest mean increase in BMI zscore compared to those who ate quick-service food once a week or not at all. Quick-service food eating tracked slightly from childhood through adolescence (k ¼ 0.17, Po0.05). DISCUSSION: Adolescent girls who eat quick-service food twice a week or more are likely to increase their relative BMI over time.

No abstract

Beverage choice can have a significant effect on the nutrient adequacy of the diets of children and adolescents.

No abstract

Objectives: To describe child and adolescent dietary patterns and to determine associations between childhood dietary pattern and longitudinal change in body mass index (BMI) z-score among girls. Population and methods: Healthy girls (n ¼ 101) aged 8-12 years at baseline and 11-19 years at follow-up participated in a longitudinal study of growth and development. Participants kept 7-day dietary records at two points in time. We incorporated time of day, frequency, and amount of energy consumed (defined as percentage of total energy consumed per dietary event) when characterizing dietary patterns. Results: Girls ate an average of 4-5 times per day and consumed most energy in the afternoon and in the evening/night, rather than in the morning. After controlling for baseline BMI, the mean percentage of daily energy consumed in the evening/night was positively associated with change in BMI z-score (P ¼ 0.039). Eating between 4.0 and 5.9 times per day overall and no more than 1.9 times in the evening/night daily were negatively associated with change in BMI z-score (P ¼ 0.002 and 0.047, respectively), after controlling for baseline BMI z-score. Discussion: Recommendations to decrease the percentage of energy coming from the evening/night meal and the number of dietary events to no more than six times per day and two times in the evening/night should be evaluated in future longitudinal investigations.

Diet has been implicated in the etiology of chronic diseases in many populations, including the Navajo and other American Indian tribes. This report describes the current nutrient intake of the Navajo and identifies the primary food sources of key nutrients. In the Navajo Health and Nutrition Survey, interviewers obtained single 24-h diet recalls from 946 nonpregnant participants age 12-91 between October 1991 and December 1992. Among various sex and age groups, total fat contributed 33-35% of energy and saturated fat contributed 10-11% of energy in the diets. Median fiber intake was 11-14 g/d. Median intakes of vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin B-6, folate, calcium and magnesium were below sex- and age-specific recommended dietary allowances (RDA) for men and women of all age groups. Intake of vitamin C was below the RDA for men and women age 20 and older. Median iron intake was below the RDA for women under age 60. Fruits and vegetables were each consumed less than once per day per person, as were dairy products. Fry bread and Navajo tortillas, home-fried potatoes, mutton, bacon and sausage, soft drinks, coffee and tea provided 41% of the energy and 15-46% of the macronutrients consumed. Recommendations to increase the intake of essential micronutrients in the Navajo diet are presented.

Clinically low serum retinol concentration is uncommon in US residents aged > or = 4 y, although racial/ethnic and socioeconomic differences in serum retinol concentration still exist.

These data show significant variations in serum carotenoid concentrations among US children and adolescents and may be valuable as reference ranges for this population.