Do Chinese Children Get Enough Micronutrients?

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine usual daily micronutrient intake of Chinese children based on data from the 2011 China Health and Nutrition Survey. We analyzed data from 4 to 17-year-old participants, who provided dietary data on three consecutive days combined with the household weighing method in 2011. Usual daily intake of each nutrient was estimated using a mixed effects model based on the China Food Composition published in 2009. The means, medians and percentages below Estimated Average Requirements (EAR) were reported for selected micronutrients, including calcium, sodium, potassium, iron, zinc, selenium, vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin and vitamin C. For sodium and potassium, the means and the distribution of intakes were compared to the Adequate Intake (AI) level. The average usual daily intakes of all micronutrients increase with age, and the intakes of boys were found to be higher than girls in the same age group. The average calcium intake increased from 272 mg/day in 4–6 years to 391 mg/day in 14–17 years, but the percentage of inadequate calcium intake remained very high (>96%). The prevalence of inadequacy of calcium was the highest among the mineral nutrients reported in this study. As the requirements of micronutrients increased with age, the percentage of subjects with inadequate intake increased in the 11–17 years age groups. Among 14–17 years group, the percentages of study participants with dietary intakes of calcium, iron, zinc, selenium, vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin and vitamin C below the EAR were 96.8%, 18.8%, 37.6%, 72.8%, 36.8%, 91.8%. 85.9% and 75.5%, respectively. Among 11–13 years group, the percentages of study participants with dietary intakes of iron, zinc and vitamin A below the EAR were 23.5%, 41.5%, and 41.6%, respectively. Thus, micronutrient deficiency is a problem in Chinese children. Nutrition education and intervention programs are needed to address these nutritional gaps.

Dairy Intake Would Reduce Nutrient Gaps in Chinese Young Children Aged 3–8 Years: A Modelling Study

“…Our results highlighted high percentages of micronutrient inadequacies in Chinese children aged 3-8 years old, including vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, calcium, selenium and potassium, which were similar to the results of 4-17 year old children and adolescents using data from CHNS 2011 [10]. Significant inadequate intakes of thiamin and calcium were also reported in 2-6 year old Chinese children from CHNS 2011 [35].…”

“…Third, the contribution of dietary supplements was not considered in the present study because the related consumption data were not collected. However, the effect of dietary supplements on nutrient intakes is likely to be small in this population because the use of dietary supplements in Chinese children is much lower than other countries [10]. Additionally, the intakes of vitamin D and different types of fatty acids were not assessed in the present study due to the lack of information in the China food composition table.…”

“…Detailed dietary intake information for each household member aged 2 years and above over three consecutive days (two weekdays and one weekend day), including amount consumed, cooking method, and eating location, was recorded by a trained staff through a face-to-face interview using 24 hour dietary recalls. Briefly, mothers or caregivers who handled food preparation and feeding in the household were asked to recall the children's food consumption over the past 24 h. Household edible oils, sugar, salt and sauce consumption were determined on a daily basis by calculating the changes in home food inventory by weighing and allocated to the child according to the proportion of energy intake in the family [10,27].…”

Dietary calcium intake and food sources among Chinese adults in CNTCS

“…However, few studies assessed calcium intake inadequacy through EAR. Huijun Wang examined the usual daily micronutrient intake of Chinese children in 2017 [ 15 ]. The China National Nutrition and Health Survey in 2002 reported dietary calcium intake among Chinese adults [ 16 ], and another surveyed Chinese adults ages 18 to 75 in 8 cities [ 8 ].…”

Health and hunger: nutrient response to income depending on caloric availability in Nepal

“…However, research indicates that micronutrient malnutrition is a far greater problem than calorie deficiency, as access to staple foods has greatly increased for the poor in developing countries (Shetty, ). This reliance on staple foods and the resulting lack of dietary diversity results in widespread micronutrient deficiencies especially in vitamin A, iron, and zinc (Mengistu et al., ; Wang et al., ). Consequently, micronutrient malnutrition continues to be a major cause of infant mortality, anemia, and stunted growth (Hoddinott et al., ).…”