Abstract
Proper nutrition early in life can influence children’s present and future health. While several authoritative sources provide eating/food recommendations, only a few studies have assessed whether these recommendations are followed. The goal of this paper was to examine food and nutrient intakes on any given day during infancy and early childhood among various ethnicities. Twenty-four-hour dietary recall data of 0–5 years-old children (n = 2431) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2014 was used to estimate intakes of nutrients and food groups and prevalence of inadequate intake. Data was analyzed separately for various age groups and ethnicities, and differences in means by age and or race/ethnicity were determined by t-tests with p < 0.05 as significant. The results indicate that intakes of all food groups were expectedly low at 0–11 months, increased with age, and were influenced by race/ethnicity. Mixed dish consumption, which also increased with age, made substantial contributions to children’s food group intakes. However, there was a substantial percentage of the population among all age and race/ethnic groups who did not consume the recommended amounts for each food group and had inadequate intakes of key nutrients, such as calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin E. Non-Hispanic black children consumed less dairy and more protein foods, and a significantly greater proportion of these children had inadequate intakes of calcium and vitamin D compared to their peers. In conclusion, the results from this study suggest that a substantial population of American infants and children from 0 to five years of age did not meet food group recommendations and had inadequate intakes of key nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin E from foods.
Highlights
Proper nutrition early in life can affect development and help set the stage for future eating habits that can influence nutrition status for a lifetime [1]
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that “an important goal of early childhood nutrition is to ensure children’s present and future health by fostering the development of healthy eating behaviors” and that “appropriate feeding behavior is vital in promoting healthy growth and development and in engendering healthy behavior and habits that can prevent the advent of chronic disease” [2]
The goal of this paper was to examine what American infants and children from 0–5 years are eating, what they consume on any given day during infancy and childhood, how these food choices influence nutrient intake, and to determine if differences exist among ethnic groups at this young and important age
Summary
Proper nutrition early in life can affect development and help set the stage for future eating habits that can influence nutrition status for a lifetime [1]. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that “an important goal of early childhood nutrition is to ensure children’s present and future health by fostering the development of healthy eating behaviors” and that “appropriate feeding behavior is vital in promoting healthy growth and development and in engendering healthy behavior and habits that can prevent the advent of chronic disease” [2]. While several authoritative sources provide recommendations on what, when, and how much children should be eating [2,3], few studies have assessed whether these recommendations are followed, how these food choices impact nutrient intake, and what, if any, differences exist among race/ethnic groups. Nutrients 2018, 10, 827 in dietary patterns are reflective of biological, cultural, and food practice differences that are further modified by social, economic, and environmental factors [4,5].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
