Distribution of energy and macronutrient intakes across eating occasions in European children from 3 to 8 years of age: The EU Childhood Obesity Project Study

Jäger, Vanessa; Koletzko, Berthold; Luque, Veronica; Ferre, Natalia; Gruszfeld, Dariusz; Gradowska, Kinga; Verduci, Elvira; Zuccotti, Gian Vincenzo; Xhonneux, Annick; Poncelet, Pascale und Grote, Veit (2022): Distribution of energy and macronutrient intakes across eating occasions in European children from 3 to 8 years of age: The EU Childhood Obesity Project Study. In: European Journal of Nutrition, Bd. 62, Nr. 1: S. 165-174

Abstract

Purpose We aimed to characterize the distribution of energy and macronutrient intakes across eating occasions (EO) in European children from preschool to school age. Methods Data from 3-day weighed food records were collected from children at ages 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 years from Belgium, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain. Food intakes were assigned to EO based on country-specific daytimes for breakfast, lunch, supper and snacks (morning, afternoon). The average energy and nutrient intakes were expressed as percentage of total energy intake (%E). Nutrients were additionally expressed as percentage per EO (%E-EO). Foods were assigned to food groups;variation in intake was calculated via coefficient of variation (CV). We analyzed age trends in diurnal intake using mixed-effects beta regression. Results The 740 healthy children included in the analysis consumed the largest proportion of daily energy at lunch (31%E +/- 8, M +/- SD) and supper (26%E +/- 8), followed by breakfast (19%E +/- 7) and snacks [afternoon (16%E +/- 8);morning (8%E +/- 7)], with the most variable intake at morning snack (CV = 0.9). The nutrient composition at lunch and supper was highest for fat (36 +/- 9%E-Lunch;39 +/- 11%E-Supper) and protein (18 +/- 5%E-Lunch;18 +/- 6%E-Supper) and at breakfast and snacks for carbohydrates (54 +/- 12%E-Breakfast;62 +/- 12%E-Snacks). High-sugar content foods were consumed in relatively large proportions at breakfast and snacks. Food intakes varied significantly with age, with lower snack intakes at later ages (p < 0.001). Conclusion Possibly unhealthy EOs with high-fat intakes and high-sugar-content foods were observed. Changes in nutrient composition of EOs may be beneficial for health. Trial registry: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00338689;19/June/2006.

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Fakultät: Medizin
• Themengebiete: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften > 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
• ISSN: 1436-6207
• Sprache: Englisch
• DFG: Gefördert durch die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - 491502892