Food and nutrient intakes of a population sample of 3-year-old children in the South West of England in 1996

Abstract

Objective: To investigate food and nutrient intakes in 3-year-old children. Subjects: Eight hundred and sixty-three children resident in South West England (69% of those invited at this age), a randomly selected sub-sample of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ALSPAC). Methods: Diet was assessed using a 3-day descriptive food record. Food and nutrient intakes were compared with intakes at 18 months in the same children, with intakes in the British National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) of pre-school children, and with dietary reference values (DRVs). Results: Intakes of energy and most nutrients had increased between 18 and 43 months. The macronutrient content of the diet had also changed, the percentage of energy from starch rose from 21 to 23% and from non-milk extrinsic (NME) sugar from 12 to 16%, while the polyunsaturated to saturated fat ratio increased from 0.26 to 0.33. When compared with the NDNS, intakes of energy and all nutrients were higher with the exception of NME sugar. Energy intakes were below the estimated average requirements. Mean intakes of iron and vitamin D were below the Reference Nutrient Intake. Fewer children were eating beef at 43 months than at 18 months. Total daily meat consumption was lower than in the NDNS. The proportion of children consuming any vegetables dropped between 18 and 43 months, although fruit eating remained constant. Conclusions: The diets of 3-year-olds in this study were adequate in most nutrients. Our results suggest that energy requirements of pre-school children in the 1990s are less than the DRV. Nutrient and food intakes changed between 18 and 43 months. Children were eating less meat than their counterparts in the NDNS.

Dietary sources and sociodemographic and economic factors affecting vitamin D and calcium intakes in Flemish preschoolers

“…Low vitamin D intakes found in our preschool children were similar to that observed in other European studies (Emmett et al, 2002;Lambert et al, 2004;Serra-Majem et al, 2006). For instance, the results concerning vitamin D intake and compliance to the recommendations were comparable to those of Spanish children 2-5 years old (boys: 1.4 mg per day; girls: 1.2 mg per day) and children from the United Kingdom aged 1-3 years old (1.8 mg per day) (Emmett et al, 2002;Serra-Majem et al, 2006).…”

“…For instance, the results concerning vitamin D intake and compliance to the recommendations were comparable to those of Spanish children 2-5 years old (boys: 1.4 mg per day; girls: 1.2 mg per day) and children from the United Kingdom aged 1-3 years old (1.8 mg per day) (Emmett et al, 2002;Serra-Majem et al, 2006). In contrast, calcium intakes in the Spanish children (boys: 135 mg/1000 kcal; girls: 116 mg/1000 kcal) were much lower than those observed in our Belgian sample of children (Serra-Majem et al, 2006).…”

“…In that study, it was shown that the group of children taking dietary supplements had still mean vitamin D intakes below 5 mg per day. Therefore, young children in Belgium might risk having an inadequate vitamin D intake during winter months (Davies et al, 1999;Emmett et al, 2002).…”

“…Similarly, calcium intakes of the United Kingdom (boys: 796; girls: The total number of children using dietary supplements is not equal to the sum of the children using the different types of dietary supplements as some of the children were using more than one type of dietary supplement. Vitamin D and calcium intake in preschoolers I Huybrechts et al (Emmett et al, 2002;Serra-Majem et al, 2006).…”

Trends in waist circumferences in young British children: a comparative study

“…25,32 Dietary intakes in the CIF group were assessed repeatedly by 3-day food diary and mean energy intakes in boys and girls respectively were 4.77 and 4.44 MJ at 1 1 2 y 33 and 5.81 and 5.49 MJ at 3.5 y. 34 This compares to energy intakes of 1-to 2-y-old children of 5.28 MJ observed in a survey in 1967-68, 35 and energy intakes of 6.04 MJ observed in a 1950 survey of 4-y-olds. 36 The paradoxical increase in waist circumference over a time period when energy intakes have been falling would suggest a decline in energy expenditure via physical activity as a primary cause.…”