Abstract
Objective: To describe energy and nutrient intake levels in children 3 years of age. Design: Cohort study to prospectively collect dietary intake three times over one year. Subjects and Settings: A socioeconomically diverse group of 368 white or black non-Hispanic children were recruited from the Cincinnati metropolitan area. Main Outcome Measure: Mean daily dietary intakes of energy and nutrients were calculated for each subject. Group mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum intakes, and usual intake percentiles were calculated for energy and nutrients. Results: Compared to the DRIs, 42% of study subjects had excess energy intake. Almost all study participants had intakes of fat, carbohydrate, and protein within the recommended range. The study group met requirements for all micronutrients with the exception of vitamin E (49%). Percentage of participants with estimated intake exceeding the recommendations was 1% or lower with the exception of niacin (85%), folate (45%), vitamin A (48%), and zinc (53%). Conclusion: This study suggests that most nutrient intakes for children 3 years of age are adequate. Of concern are the increased intake of energy and some micronutrients. Sustained excess energy intake from an early age may lead to adult obesity and increased risk for many diseases.
Keywords: Dietary intake of 3 year old children, multivitamin for children, DRI's for children, preschoolers, child nutrition
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