Trends in Dietary Intake among US 2- to 6-Year-Old Children, 1989-2008

doi:10.1016/j.jand.2012.08.022

Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Volume 113, Issue 1, January 2013, Pages 35-42.e6

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2012.08.022 Get rights and content

Abstract

Background

Between 1989 and 2008, obesity increased markedly in children of all ages. We examined changes in the diets of children ages 2 to 6 years in the United States between 1989 and 2008. Our study provides new insight into diet changes that might have contributed to the sharp rise in obesity during this period.

Objective

Our aim was to describe changes in diet among 2- to 6-year-old children from 1989 to 2008 related to sharp rises in obesity during this period.

Participants

This analysis included 10,647 children ages 2 to 6 years from the following five nationally representative surveys of dietary intake in the United States: Continuing Survey of Food Intake in Individuals 1989-1991 and 1994-1998 and the What We Eat In America, National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 2003-2004, 2005-2006, and 2007-2008. Diet data were categorized into groupings using the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill approach.

Statistical analyses

Analyses were carried out using a single 24-hour dietary recall with appropriate survey weighting. T tests were used to compare means across survey years, with P<0.05 considered significant.

Results

During the 20-year period, there were increases in per capita intake of savory snacks (+51 kcal; P<0.01), pizza/calzones (+32 kcal; P<0.01), sweet snacks and candy (+25 kcal; P<0.01), mixed Mexican dishes (+22 kcal; P<0.01), and fruit juice (+18 kcal; P<0.01), and total daily energy intake increased by 109 kcal (from 1,475 to 1,584 kcal) (P<0.05). Fruit intake increased marginally (+24 kcal; P<0.01). Six of the 10 greatest absolute changes in per capita intake between sequential survey years occurred between Continuing Survey of Food Intake in Individuals 1994-1998 and National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 2003-2004 (P<0.05).

Conclusions

Foods high in added sugars and solid fats, such as savory snacks, pizza/calzones, mixed Mexican dishes, sweet snacks and candy, and fruit juice, predominated the top changes in per capita consumption between 1989 and 2008.

Section snippets

Datasets and Sample Sizes

This analysis included 10,647 children ages 2 to 6 years from five nationally representative surveys of dietary intake in the United States. The Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals (CSFII) was conducted by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) from 1989 to 1991 (n=1,370 children ages 2 to 6 years) and from 1994 to 1998 (n=6,285 children ages 2 to 6 years).²⁷ CSFII sampling was based on US Census tracks, and participants were enrolled at the household level. What We Eat in America

Results

Sociodemographic characteristics and total daily energy intake are reported in Table 1. For preschoolers ages 2 to 6 years, total daily energy intake increased by 109 kcal between 1989 and 2008 (P<0.05). There were minor differences in the distributions of race and ethnicity and income over the surveys, the greatest of which was a nearly 8% decrease in the proportion of non-Hispanic whites between 1989-1991 and 1994-1998. The proportion of poor increased between 1989-1991 and 2003-2004, but

Discussion

To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine 20-year changes in food consumption patterns among 2- to 6-year-old children in the United States using nationally representative samples. During a 20-year period, there is a marked increase in foods high in added sugars, solid fats, and sodium in the preschooler diet. Per capita consumption of savory snacks, pizza/calzones, sweet snacks and candy, mixed Mexican dishes, and fruit juice, increased by a combined 148 kcal/day. In contrast,

Acknowledgements

We thank the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Grant 67506) and the National Institutes of Health (R01 HL104580 and CPC 5 R24 HD050924) for financial support. We also wish to thank Phil Bardsley, PhD, for exceptional assistance with the data management and programming, Frances L. Dancy for administrative assistance, Tom Swasey for graphics support, and Carmen Piernas for assistance in this effort.

C. N. Ford is a research assistant and doctoral student, Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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C. N. Ford is a research assistant and doctoral student, Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

M. M. Slining is a research assistant professor, Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

B. M. Popkin is W. R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor, Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

: FUNDING/SUPPORT Funding for this study comes from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Grant 67506) and the National Institutes of Health (R01 HL104580 and CPC 5 R24 HD050924).

: STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

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ResearchOriginal ResearchTrends in Dietary Intake among US 2- to 6-Year-Old Children, 1989-2008

Abstract

Background

Objective

Participants

Statistical analyses

Results

Conclusions

Section snippets

Datasets and Sample Sizes

Results

Discussion

Acknowledgements

Am J Clin Nutr

Lancet

Appetite

J Am Diet Assoc

J Am Diet Assoc

J Am Diet Assoc

J Am Diet Assoc

J Am Diet Assoc

J Am Diet Assoc

J Am Diet Assoc

Am J Clin Nutr

Appetite

J Adolesc Health

J Nutr Educ Behav

J Am Diet Assoc

J Nutr

Am J Clin Nutr

Metabolism

Prevalence and trends in obesity among US adults, 1999-2000

JAMA

Prevalence of high body mass index in US children and adolescents, 2007-2008

JAMA

Prevalence of obesity and trends in the distribution of body mass index among US adults, 1999-2010

JAMA

Increased energy intake entirely accounts for increase in body weight in women but not in men in the UK between 1986 and 2000

Br J Nutr

Obesity: Is it a mental disorder?

Int J Eat Disord

Influences on the development of children's eating behaviours: From infancy to adolescence

Can J Diet Pract Res

Development of food acceptance patterns in the first years of life

Proc Nutr Soc

Research in reviewChildren's eating: The development of food-acceptance patterns

Young Children

Development of eating behaviors among children and adolescents

Pediatrics

Research
Original Research
Trends in Dietary Intake among US 2- to 6-Year-Old Children, 1989-2008