Abstract
Objective: We examined whether dietary energy intake (EI) and dietary energy density (ED) were cross-sectionally associated with body composition of children living in Southwest China. Design and Methods: Multivariate regression analyses were performed on three day, 24 h dietary recall data and information on potential confounders from 1207 participants aged 8–14 years. EI was calculated from all foods and drinks and ED was classified into five categories. Body mass index (BMI) z-scores, percentage of body fat (%BF), fat mass index (FMI), fat-free mass index (FFMI) and ratio of waist to hip circumference (WHR) were used to describe body composition. Results: Boys with higher total EI had higher BMI z-scores, %BF, and FMI than boys with lower total EI both before and after measurements were adjusted for confounders (age, fiber intake, physical activity, the timing of adding complementary foods, paternal education level and maternal BMI) (p ≤ 0.04). However, EI was not associated with body composition in girls. Dietary ED, in any category, was not associated with body composition in either gender. Conclusions: Dietary ED was not associated with body composition of children in Southwest China, while dietary EI in boys, not girls, was positively associated with body composition. Reducing dietary energy intake may help to prevent obesity and related diseases in later life among boys living in Southwest China.
Highlights
The epidemic of childhood adiposity has been reported in both developed [1] and developing countries [2]
Using data collected from children living in Sichuan, Southwest China, we aimed to investigate whether dietary energy intake (EI) or energy density (ED) was associated with body composition by assessing Body mass index (BMI) z-scores, percentage of body fat (%BF), fat mass index (FMI), fat-free mass index (FFMI) and ratio of waist to hip circumference (WHR)
Overweight/obesity was defined according to both the Working Group on Obesity in China (WGOC) [51] and the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) BMI cut-offs for children [49]
Summary
The epidemic of childhood adiposity has been reported in both developed [1] and developing countries [2]. In Irish children the results regarding the association between ED and body composition were different because the methods to calculate ED and define obesity are different [34] These inconsistent results may reflect the different lifestyles of the populations examined, misreporting of energy intake [35] and the methodological challenges inherent in accurately assessing EI and calculating dietary ED [36]. In order to overcome the limitations of previous studies, the present study took many precautions to guarantee the accuracy of the results These precautions included eliminating the misreporting of energy intake, assessing EI for all foods and all drinks (including caloric beverages), calculating ED using five approaches, controlling for physical activity level, and analyzing a range of various potential confounders
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