Abstract
We performed a cross-sectional study to compare the intake of energy, macronutrients, fiber, sodium and iron and the anthropometric status of infants and toddlers living in North (Milano) and South Italy (Catania). Nutrient intake was evaluated using a 7-day weighed food record. Out of 400 planned children aged 6 to 36 months, 390 (98%) were recruited, 189 in Milano and 201 in Catania. The mean (standard deviation) age was 17 (9) months in Milano and 17 (10) months in Catania. Anthropometry, energy intake and macronutrient intake were similar in Milano and Catania. However, iron intake was 27% lower and fiber intake 16% higher in Milano than in Catania. Despite normal anthropometry and energy intake, in the pooled sample there was a high intake of proteins, simple carbohydrates, saturated fats and sodium, and a low intake of iron and fiber compared to Italian reference values. This is the first study to report the macro- and micro-nutrient intake of children aged <12 months using the 7-day weighed food record and one of the very few studies that have employed such reference method in children from the general population.
Highlights
There is a general agreement that the promotion of healthy lifestyles during the first years of life is central to the prevention of obesity and its complications [1]
Nutrintake 636 (NI636) is a cross-sectional study aimed at comparing: (1) the intake of energy (E); (2) the intake of total carbohydrates (CHO), simple carbohydrates (CHOS), total fats (FAT), saturated fats (SFA), proteins (PRO), fiber, sodium and iron and; (3) the weight, length/height and body mass index (BMI) of Italian infants and toddlers living in North (Milano, Lombardy) and South (Catania, Sicily) Italy
NI636 was aimed at comparing the intake of energy, macronutrients, fiber, sodium and iron and the anthropometric status of infants and toddlers living in Milano and Catania
Summary
There is a general agreement that the promotion of healthy lifestyles during the first years of life is central to the prevention of obesity and its complications [1]. Under the Italian National Health System, children are cared for by family pediatricians [8]. This offers the possibility to control the logistic barrier associated with the enrollment of infants and toddlers but does not attenuate the need of using the best available instruments to assess food intake [5,9]. The 7-day weighed food-record (7DWFR) is the accepted reference method for the assessment of nutrient intake [6,7] and offers accurate estimates of macronutrient intake compared to direct chemical analysis [10,11]. A recent systematic review concluded that weighed records are needed to obtain more accurate estimates of nutrient intake in children, especially when micronutrient intake is of interest [5]
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