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.

Rasaki A Sanusi,Oluwatosin Leshi,Shirley I Ejoh,Anuoluwapo Ogundero,Marie Tassy,Oluwaseun Ariyo,Yvonne M Lenighan,Alison L Eldridge,Elizabeth Aleru,Toluwalope E Eyinla,Dantong Wang

doi:10.3390/nu14010200

Abstract

This study examined the contribution of food to nutrient intake, meal and dietary patterns among children aged 4–8 and 9–13 years in the city of Ibadan, Nigeria. Multi-pass 24-hour dietary recalls were used to assess intakes. Prudent and traditional Southwestern Nigerian dietary patterns were identified among children. The top foods and beverages were defined by frequency and amount consumed. Meal patterns were described by the eating occasions, while cluster analysis probed dietary patterns. About 88% of children had at least three meals including breakfast (95%), lunch (85%), dinner (92%) and midmorning meals (48%), while about 60% ate snacks at least once daily. Sources of energy and key nutrients were limited (yam, cassava, rice, maize, bread and beans/peas/legumes). The amount consumed per consumer of cassava products (192.2, 256.0 g), yam (169.7, 256.0 g), legumes (115.3, 150.7 g), corn/maize (160.4, 195.2), and rice (138.4, 182.3 g) were high, while beef (15.2, 17.9 g), eggs (50.6, 49.2 g), fish (27.5, 30.6 g), milk (24.2, 27.0 g) and nuts and seeds (18.2, 19.7 g) were low for children ages 4–8 and 9–13 years, respectively. In conclusion, while the frequency of meals suggests a healthy pattern, the top foods could not provide adequate nutrient (especially micronutrient) intake, which is key to the development of the target population.

Highlights

Food is necessary for maintaining a body’s basal metabolism, which processes energy and nutrients to sustain life, strengthen the immune system promote recovery and recuperation from illness and diseases and aid in growth and development, especially in children and adolescents [1]
In Nigeria, for example, the high prevalence of malnutrition in children has been attributed to poor dietary practices including meal skipping, snacking and infrequent intake of fruit, vegetables, milk and milk products [7,8]
Meal patterns can be described by the frequency and spacing of eating occasions—the consumption of any meal or beverage, the amount, type of food and time when it is eaten [10]—as well as the skipping and timing of meals

Summary

Introduction

Food is necessary for maintaining a body’s basal metabolism, which processes energy and nutrients to sustain life, strengthen the immune system promote recovery and recuperation from illness and diseases and aid in growth and development, especially in children and adolescents [1]. In Nigeria, for example, the high prevalence of malnutrition in children has been attributed to poor dietary practices including meal skipping, snacking and infrequent intake of fruit, vegetables, milk and milk products [7,8]. Increased frequency of eating occasions and snacks consumption has been linked to a substantial increase in energy intake of children [11]. In the United States, increased total dietary energy intake has been directly linked to eating occasions and portion sizes [13]. This suggests that the quality, frequency and quantity of food consumed are important considerations for energy and nutrient-intake studies

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Discussion

Conclusion