Nutrient Intake in Children 4–13 Years Old in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

The paucity of adequate data on dietary and nutrient intakes of school-age children is a barrier to addressing malnutrition and associated risks in Nigeria. This study included 955 children aged 4–13 years from Ibadan, Nigeria, using a stratified random sampling design. Information on family socio-demographic characteristics was reported, and child anthropometrics were measured. Dietary intake data were collected using a multi-pass 24 h dietary recall method; 20% of subjects completed a second 24 h recall to estimate usual nutrient intakes. Means and distributions of usual intakes of energy and nutrients as well as prevalence of inadequacy were estimated. Usual energy intake (kcal/day) was 1345 and 1590 for younger (4–8 years) and older (9–13 years) age groups, respectively. The macronutrient intakes of most children did not conform to Adequate Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDRs), which were characterized by a higher proportion of energy from carbohydrates and lower proportion from total fats. Protein intake was largely within the AMDR. Compared to recommendations, over 60% of 4–8-year-old children had inadequate intakes of calcium, copper, iron, folate, and vitamins A, D, and E. There were more micronutrient inadequacies in the older children. This study identifies nutrition gaps and suggests future research and education to improve child nutrition in Nigeria.

Food Sources of Key Nutrients, Meal and Dietary Patterns among Children Aged 4–13 Years in Ibadan, Nigeria: Findings from the 2019 Kids Nutrition and Health Study

“…To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study in Nigeria that describes the eating occasions, commonly consumed foods, meal pattern and contribution of such foods to the energy and key nutrients among children aged 4–13 years. The nutrient intake of this target group is presented in another report [ 14 ].…”

“…Each parent, guardian, caregiver gave written and signed informed consent for the child to participate. Sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the participants in I-KNHS have been previously published [ 14 ].…”

“…Questions were asked concerning feast or fast days, illness of the respondent or consumption of any nutritional supplements. A non-consecutive day repeat 24 h dietary intake assessment was carried out for 20% of the respondents to enable the estimation of usual nutrient intake using the method developed by National Cancer Institute as described previously [ 14 ]. In the present study, 24 h recall on the first day was used for meal and food intake analysis.…”

“…Moreover, Nigeria has few published dietary intake studies concerning school-aged children. A food consumption study among these age groups, therefore, provides a credible basis for the assessment of dietary intake patterns beyond the evaluation of adequate nutrient intake [ 14 ]. In our previous publication, micronutrient inadequacy (calcium, iron, folate and vitamin A) was a common problem in the sampled children and was particularly severe in the older children [ 14 ].…”

“…A food consumption study among these age groups, therefore, provides a credible basis for the assessment of dietary intake patterns beyond the evaluation of adequate nutrient intake [ 14 ]. In our previous publication, micronutrient inadequacy (calcium, iron, folate and vitamin A) was a common problem in the sampled children and was particularly severe in the older children [ 14 ]. This, therefore, provides a justification for probing the sources of nutrients and their dietary contribution.…”