Abstract
Promoting a healthy lifestyle during the first years of life is a key strategy for controlling obesity risk in later life; having good-quality epidemiological data on eating habits of infants and toddlers can improve awareness and possibly the education given by pediatricians to parents and children. With this aim, we performed a survey about the dietary pattern of Italian children in early childhood. We described the intake of energy, macronutrients and fiber, minerals, and vitamins of 443 Italian children (range 6.4-131 months), through a three-day food record filled out by their parents and assessed by family pediatricians. The results were compared with the Italian Dietary Reference Values. The median protein intake, in g/kg per body weight, exceeded the average requirement in all age groups, and in the 12-36 month period, the intake as % of energy was outside the reference range (>15%). The majority of the children consumed quantities of simple carbohydrates (consisting of both natural sugars and free or added sugars, 82.3% of the children in the study) and saturated fats (69% of the children in the study) above the limits of the Italian Dietary Reference Values, with low intake of fiber and polyunsaturated fats. Median mineral intake, in our study, was different depending on age, while vitamin D intake was very low in all age groups. This is one of the few studies reporting on the nutrient intake of Italian children with reference to nutrition recommendations in order to identify the principal nutritional errors. The present results underline the need for healthcare policies starting from the first years of life in order to ameliorate nutrient intake during childhood, possibly impacting long-term health outcomes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | E1129 |
| Journal | Nutrients |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - May 21 2019 |
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Keywords
- descriptive observational study
- dietary pattern
- epidemiology
- food record
- health
- infants
- nutrient intake
- obesity
- survey
- toddlers
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Food Science
- Nutrition and Dietetics
Cite this
Childhood Dietary Intake in Italy : The Epidemiological "MY FOOD DIARY" Survey. / Verduci, Elvira; Banderali, Giuseppe; Montanari, Chiara; Berni Canani, Roberto; Cimmino Caserta, Luigi; Corsello, Giovanni; Mosca, Fabio; Piazzolla, Ruggiero; Rescigno, Maria; Terracciano, Luigi; Troiano, Ersilia; Crosa, Marina; Maffeis, Claudio; Francavilla, Ruggiero.
In: Nutrients, Vol. 11, No. 5, E1129, 21.05.2019.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Childhood Dietary Intake in Italy
T2 - The Epidemiological "MY FOOD DIARY" Survey
AU - Verduci, Elvira
AU - Banderali, Giuseppe
AU - Montanari, Chiara
AU - Berni Canani, Roberto
AU - Cimmino Caserta, Luigi
AU - Corsello, Giovanni
AU - Mosca, Fabio
AU - Piazzolla, Ruggiero
AU - Rescigno, Maria
AU - Terracciano, Luigi
AU - Troiano, Ersilia
AU - Crosa, Marina
AU - Maffeis, Claudio
AU - Francavilla, Ruggiero
PY - 2019/5/21
Y1 - 2019/5/21
N2 - Promoting a healthy lifestyle during the first years of life is a key strategy for controlling obesity risk in later life; having good-quality epidemiological data on eating habits of infants and toddlers can improve awareness and possibly the education given by pediatricians to parents and children. With this aim, we performed a survey about the dietary pattern of Italian children in early childhood. We described the intake of energy, macronutrients and fiber, minerals, and vitamins of 443 Italian children (range 6.4-131 months), through a three-day food record filled out by their parents and assessed by family pediatricians. The results were compared with the Italian Dietary Reference Values. The median protein intake, in g/kg per body weight, exceeded the average requirement in all age groups, and in the 12-36 month period, the intake as % of energy was outside the reference range (>15%). The majority of the children consumed quantities of simple carbohydrates (consisting of both natural sugars and free or added sugars, 82.3% of the children in the study) and saturated fats (69% of the children in the study) above the limits of the Italian Dietary Reference Values, with low intake of fiber and polyunsaturated fats. Median mineral intake, in our study, was different depending on age, while vitamin D intake was very low in all age groups. This is one of the few studies reporting on the nutrient intake of Italian children with reference to nutrition recommendations in order to identify the principal nutritional errors. The present results underline the need for healthcare policies starting from the first years of life in order to ameliorate nutrient intake during childhood, possibly impacting long-term health outcomes.
AB - Promoting a healthy lifestyle during the first years of life is a key strategy for controlling obesity risk in later life; having good-quality epidemiological data on eating habits of infants and toddlers can improve awareness and possibly the education given by pediatricians to parents and children. With this aim, we performed a survey about the dietary pattern of Italian children in early childhood. We described the intake of energy, macronutrients and fiber, minerals, and vitamins of 443 Italian children (range 6.4-131 months), through a three-day food record filled out by their parents and assessed by family pediatricians. The results were compared with the Italian Dietary Reference Values. The median protein intake, in g/kg per body weight, exceeded the average requirement in all age groups, and in the 12-36 month period, the intake as % of energy was outside the reference range (>15%). The majority of the children consumed quantities of simple carbohydrates (consisting of both natural sugars and free or added sugars, 82.3% of the children in the study) and saturated fats (69% of the children in the study) above the limits of the Italian Dietary Reference Values, with low intake of fiber and polyunsaturated fats. Median mineral intake, in our study, was different depending on age, while vitamin D intake was very low in all age groups. This is one of the few studies reporting on the nutrient intake of Italian children with reference to nutrition recommendations in order to identify the principal nutritional errors. The present results underline the need for healthcare policies starting from the first years of life in order to ameliorate nutrient intake during childhood, possibly impacting long-term health outcomes.
KW - descriptive observational study
KW - dietary pattern
KW - epidemiology
KW - food record
KW - health
KW - infants
KW - nutrient intake
KW - obesity
KW - survey
KW - toddlers
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85066468516&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85066468516&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/nu11051129
DO - 10.3390/nu11051129
M3 - Article
VL - 11
JO - Nutrients
JF - Nutrients
SN - 2072-6643
IS - 5
M1 - E1129
ER -