Nutrient intakes and impact of fortified breakfast cereals in schoolchildren.

OBJECTIVE: To report micronutrient intakes in Northern Ireland schoolchildren, and to establish the contribution of fortified breakfast cereal to overall nutrient intakes and achievement of current dietary recommendations. DESIGN: Analysis of dietary intakes and physical characteristics of participants in a randomly selected 2% population sample of 1015 schoolchildren aged 12 and 15 years in Northern Ireland during the 1990/1 school year. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Dietary intakes, physical characteristics, and their association with consumption of fortified breakfast cereal. RESULTS: Mean micronutrient intakes were generally adequate with the exception of low intakes of folate (boys and girls) and iron (girls). Fortified breakfast cereals, consumed by a high proportion (94% boys; 83% girls) of the sample, were associated with higher daily intakes of most micronutrients and fibre and with a macronutrient profile consistent with current nutritional recommendations. Appreciable proportions of subjects who did not consume fortified breakfast cereals had daily intakes that fell below the lower reference nutrient intake for riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin B-12, and iron (girls). CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate the potential of fortification in contributing to micronutrient intakes of schoolchildren, particularly where requirements are high, or for those on marginal diets of low nutritional quality.     

Safety of a fat-reduced diet: the Dietary Intervention Study in Children (DISC)

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between energy intake from fat and anthropometric, biochemical, and dietary measures of nutritional adequacy and safety. DESIGN: Three-year longitudinal study of children participating in a randomized controlled trial; intervention and usual care group data pooled to assess effects of self-reported fat intake; longitudinal regression analyses of measurements at baseline, year 1, and year 3. PARTICIPANTS: Six hundred sixty-three children (362 boys and 301 girls), 8 to 10 years of age at baseline, with elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, who are participants of the Dietary Intervention Study in Children. MEASURES: Energy intake from fat assessed from three 24-hour recalls at each time point was the independent variable. Outcomes were anthropometric measures (height, weight, body mass index, and sum of skinfolds), nutritional biochemical determinations (serum ferritin, zinc, retinol, albumin, beta-carotene, and vitamin E, red blood cell folate, and hemoglobin), and dietary micronutrients (vitamins A, C, E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamins B-6, B-12, folate, calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, and phosphorus). RESULTS: Lower fat intake was not related to anthropometric measures or serum zinc, retinol, albumin, beta-carotene, or vitamin E. Lower fat intake was related to: 1) higher levels of red blood cell folate and hemoglobin, with a trend toward higher serum ferritin; 2) higher intakes of folate, vitamin C, and vitamin A, with a trend toward higher iron intake; 3) lower intakes of calcium, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin B-12, thiamin, niacin, and riboflavin; 4) increased risk of consuming less than two-thirds of the Recommended Dietary Allowances for calcium in girls at baseline, and zinc and vitamin E in boys and girls at all visits. CONCLUSIONS: Lower fat intakes during puberty are nutritionally adequate for growth and for maintenance of normal levels of nutritional biochemical measures, and are associated with beneficial effects on blood folate and hemoglobin. Although lower fat diets were related to lower self-reported intakes of several nutrients, no adverse effects were observed on blood biochemical measures of nutritional status. Current public health recommendations for moderately lower fat intakes in children during puberty may be followed safely.     

Dietary behaviour,food and nutrient intake of women do not change during pregnancy in Southern Ethiopia

Although pregnant women are required to increase food and nutrient intake to accommodate for the increased nutritional demands, information on dietary behaviour and nutrient intake is limited. This study aimed to identify the adequacy and differences in intake between pregnant and non‐pregnant women in a rural community of Butajira district, Southern Ethiopia. Simple random sampling was used to recruit 159 pregnant and 164 non‐pregnant women. An interactive multiple pass 24‐h recall survey was used to evaluate the food and nutrient intake of the study participants. Except for iron, vitamin A and C, intakes of macro and micronutrient were below the recommendations. Almost all study participants were deficient in energy, protein, calcium, folate and niacin intakes. There was no significant difference in the mean dietary intake of all nutrients between pregnant and non‐pregnant women (p > 0.05). The prevalence of inadequacy was comparable between pregnant and non‐pregnant women in all of the nutrient intakes except for Zn, where the prevalence of inadequacy was much higher among the pregnant women. Nearly all (99.0%) of the pregnant women were deficient in niacin, folate and calcium. Although all pregnant women considered it important to increase food intake during pregnancy, only a quarter of women reported to do so. In conclusion, pregnant women in the rural community of Butajira district do not make significant dietary intake adjustments to account for increased nutrient needs during pregnancy. In food insecure areas, such as ours, nutritional counselling complemented with supplementary feeding programmes could be key to ensure adequate dietary intake. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd     

Dietary changes in Swedish adolescents

A school-based dietary survey, using seven-day records, was performed in two cohorts of Swedish adolescents; 14– and 17-year-olds. The study comprised 366 boys and 365 girls. When compared to previous studies in Sweden, a striking finding was a decrease in dietary fat intake and an increase in carbohydrate intake. However, the relative intake of saturated fat had not changed (15% of total energy). The dietary change was mainly due to an increased consumption of cereal products. There were no major differences in dietary habits or nutrient density of the food between the two age groups, or between boys and girls. The mean intakes of protein, fat and carbohydrate, expressed as a percentage of the total energy intake, were 15, 33 and 52%, respectively. The mean intakes of vitamins and minerals were low only for selenium. The boys had a high iron intake (1.5 and 1.7 times the recommended intake for 14- and 17-year-olds, respectively) while the mean iron intake for girls was 0.9 times the recommended dietary allowances in both age groups. The intake of dietary salt was higher in boys than in girls (7.7 g and 9.0 g per day in 14- and 17-year-old boys, respectively, and 5.8 g per day in both 14- and 17-year-old girls). In a long-term health perspective, this positive change in nutrient intake in adolescents may contribute to a reduction in the incidence of diet-related diseases in Sweden. However, our results strongly suggest that if intakes are further reduced in the adolescent age groups, this may reduce the energy intake to a hazardously low level in a significant number of adolescents, particularly in girls.     

Interactions between Infections, Malnutrition and Ironnutritional Status in Pakistani Infants A Longitudinal Study

The interactions between infections, malnutrition and poor iron nutritional status in infants at weaning ages are poorly defined. Therefore, four groups of infants from an area with a high incidence of malnutrition (Lahore, Pakistan) were enrolled in a prospective, randomized nutritional intervention study. Between 122 and 365 days of age, the infants from one community received either a milk cereal without iron fortification ( n = 29), a milk cereal fortified with ferrous fumarate (7.5 mg/100 g; n = 30), or a milk cereal fortified with ferric-pyrophosphate (7.5 mg/100 g; n = 27). Forty-four infants from a neighbouring community did not receive a nutritional supplement and served as the control group. Calculated mean daily energy- and protein intake with the cereals was between 259–287 kcal, and 9.6–10.6 g at 12 months of age, respectively. Mean daily iron intake with the fortified cereals was between 4.1–5.1 mg at corresponding age. Nutritional supplementation resulted in significantly lower incidence of malnutrition and heigher weight gain. Incidence of acute diarrhoea was significantly ( p <0.05) lower in the supplemented groups. The infants fed the iron-fortified milk cereals had significantly higher hemoglobin (mean 10.4 vs. 9.8 gdl^-1) and serum ferritin (mean 13.3 vs. 8.5 ngml^-1) values than the infants fed the non-fortified milk cereals. However, no differences in the incidence of infections were found between the supplemented groups. It is concluded that poor nutritional intake between 122 and 365 days of age substantially contributed to the high incidence of diarrhoea and malnutrition in Pakistani infants.     

Combining food‐based dietary recommendations using Optifood with zinc‐fortified water potentially improves nutrient adequacy among 4‐ to 6‐year‐old children in Kisumu West district,Kenya

Children in developing countries often face multiple micronutrient deficiencies. Introduction of zinc‐fortified water can increase zinc intake, but additional recommendations are required to address overall diet nutrient adequacy. We developed and tested food‐based recommendations (FBRs) that included zinc‐fortified water for children aged between 4 and 6 years from rural Kenya to achieve the best possible nutrient adequacy. Dietary intakes of 60 children aged 4–6 years, from Kisumu West district, Kenya, were assessed using a quantitative multipass 24‐hr recall. Linear programming model parameters were derived, including a list of foods consumed, median serving sizes, and distribution of frequency of consumption. By using the Optifood linear programming tool, we developed FBRs for diets including zinc‐fortified water. FBRs with nutrient levels achieving ≥70% recommended nutrient intake (RNI) of the World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations RNI for most of the 12 considered nutrients were selected as the final recommendations for the children. With no FBRs and no zinc‐fortified water, percent RNI coverage range was between 40% and 76% for zinc, improving to 66–101% after introduction of zinc‐fortified water. The final set of FBRs achieved nutrient adequacy for all nutrients except for vitamin A (25% RNI) and folate (68% RNI). Introduction of zinc‐fortified water combined with FBRs will likely improve the nutrient adequacy of diets consumed by children in Kenya but needs to be complemented with alternative interventions to ensure dietary adequacy.     

Habitual micronutrient intake during and after pregnancy in Caucasian Londoners

Micronutrient status is of fundamental importance both upon conception and throughout pregnancy. There is an abundance of literature investigating nutrient intakes during individual trimesters of pregnancy but few studies have investigated baseline intakes of nutrients throughout gestation as a continuum. The current investigation set out to measure habitual micronutrient intakes at weeks 13, 25, 35 of pregnancy and 6 weeks postpartum using a prospective background information questionnaire, 4–7-day weighed food diary and postnatal questionnaire. Seventy-two primiparous, Caucasian Londoners were recruited at the study start with 42 completing the first, second, third trimester and postpartum study stages respectively. Study findings indicated that sodium intakes were significantly higher than UK guidelines throughout and after pregnancy ( P  < 0.001). Intakes of folate, iron, vitamin D, potassium, iodine and selenium were lower than UK recommendations during and after pregnancy, but to varying levels of statistical significance ( P  < 0.05). Only 23–38% of women met UK recommendations for folate (300 µg day⁻¹) through dietary sources. Similarly, only a small percentage of women met dietary guidelines for iron (19–28%). The findings from the current study indicate that public health interventions may be required to help expectant mothers achieve an optimal diet, particularly after birth when dietary recommendations increase for some micronutrients.     

Nutritional status of schoolchildren in an inner city area.

Data were collected on the seven day weighed food intakes of 65 schoolchildren, aged 12-13 years, living in an inner city, socially deprived area in east London. Blood samples were collected during the week and analysed for cholesterol, serum ferritin, vitamins A, E, B-12, beta carotene, and folic acid. Boys generally fared better than girls with almost a quarter of the girls having intakes of calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, vitamin A, and riboflavin less than the lower reference nutrient intake, an amount which, by definition, is enough for only the few people in a group who have low needs. Although the mean energy intake was close to the estimated average requirement for both boys and girls, 74% did not meet the recommended intake for fibre and a high proportion of children consumed more than 11% of their energy from saturated fat (85%) and added sugar (88%). Thirty seven per cent of the children ate no fresh fruit during the week they kept a diary and only 19% had vegetables (fresh or frozen), other than potatoes, on a daily basis. Their main sources of energy were chips, bread, and confectionery. No association was found between fat intakes and plasma cholesterol concentrations. Girls had significantly lower blood concentrations of folic acid, ferritin, and beta carotene. The findings of this study confirm the anxieties often expressed that many schoolchildren, particularly in less affluent areas, are eating diets which are unhealthy according to government recommendations.     

Nutritional status of schoolchildren in an inner city area

Data were collected on the seven day weighed food intakes of 65 schoolchildren, aged 12-13 years, living in an inner city, socially deprived area in east London. Blood samples were collected during the week and analysed for cholesterol, serum ferritin, vitamins A, E, B-12, beta carotene, and folic acid. Boys generally fared better than girls with almost a quarter of the girls having intakes of calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, vitamin A, and riboflavin less than the lower reference nutrient intake, an amount which, by definition, is enough for only the few people in a group who have low needs. Although the mean energy intake was close to the estimated average requirement for both boys and girls, 74% did not meet the recommended intake for fibre and a high proportion of children consumed more than 11% of their energy from saturated fat (85%) and added sugar (88%). Thirty seven per cent of the children ate no fresh fruit during the week they kept a diary and only 19% had vegetables (fresh or frozen), other than potatoes, on a daily basis. Their main sources of energy were chips, bread, and confectionery. No association was found between fat intakes and plasma cholesterol concentrations. Girls had significantly lower blood concentrations of folic acid, ferritin, and beta carotene. The findings of this study confirm the anxieties often expressed that many schoolchildren, particularly in less affluent areas, are eating diets which are unhealthy according to government recommendations.     

Long term health implications of fitness and physical activity patterns.

Northern Ireland has the highest incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) in the world. The physical fitness, activity patterns, health knowledge, attitudes, and dietary habits of a random, stratified sample of 3211 Northern Irish children, comprising 1540 boys and 1671 girls, age range 11-18 years were examined. At all ages boys were significantly more active than girls. The most important finding was an appreciable decline in physical activity levels after the age of 14 years reaching extremely low levels in older girls. While 75% of exercise taken was not related to school, physical education classes constituted the only exercise taken by one third of pupils. Girls had healthier nutritional habits and were more inclined to employ weight control measures than boys. There was a preponderance of children with a higher body mass index indicating a tendency to obesity in the child population. Over 20% of school leavers of both sexes regularly smoked cigarettes and 20% regularly drank alcohol. The postulated relationship between childhood inactivity, adult sedentary lifestyle, and increased risk of CHD raises serious cause for concern regarding the future cardiovascular health of many children.     

A nutrition survey among schoolchildren in Brazzaville, Congo]

OBJECTIVE: To identify nutritional characteristics among schoolchildren in Brazzaville, Congo. POPULATION AND METHODS: A 3-day feeding survey was undertaken in 3 primary education schools in the Brazzaville borough. The study was conducted among 1066 schoolchildren (534 boys, 532 girls) ranging from 6 to 14 years. The subjects were divided into 4 age groups: 6-7, 8-9, 10-11 and 12-14 years old. The evolution of the feeding was studied according to age, and the nutritional intakes were compared with recommended dietary allowances. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The energy intakes were low, the mean caloric intake was 1984.9+/-448 Kcal. They increased between 6 and 14 years, especially between 13 and 14 years, where mean increase was twice as important as between 6 and 7 years. Energy provided by the evening meal was equivalent to 67.5% of mean caloric intake per day. The quantities of aliments taken increased with age. In addition, there were excesses and insufficiencies common or specific to the Congolese children of 4 age groups. High natrium intakes were observed at age 12 years, insufficient intakes of phosphore and lipids at 10 years. CONCLUSION: On the basis of the observation of the schoolchildren's behavior at Brazzaville, poverty seems to influence the schoolchildren's nutritional status. But, one could propose dietary advices, in order to improve the problems described here.     

Nutritional anemia and its control

Available studies on prevalence of nutritional anemia in India show that 65% infant and toddlers, 60% 1–6 years of age, 88% adolescent girls (3.3% had hemoglobin < 7.0 g/dl; severe anemia) and 85% pregnant women (9.9% having severe anemia) were anemic. The prevalence of anemia was marginally higher in lactating women as compared to pregnancy. The commonest is iron deficiency anemia. National programmes to control and prevent anemia have not been successful. Experiences from other countries in controlling moderately-severe anemia guide to adopt long-term measures i.e. fortification of food items like milk, cereal, sugar, salt with iron. Use of iron utensils in boiling milk, cooking vegetables etc may contribute significant amount of dietary iron. Nutrition education to improve dietary intakes in family for receiving needed macro/micro nutrients as protein, iron and vitamins like folic acid, B₁₂, A and C etc. for hemoglobin synthesis is important. As an immediate measure medicinal iron is necessary to control anemia. Addition of folate with iron controls anemia and is neuroprotective. Evidence in early childhood suggests vitamin B₁₂ deficiency anemia; thus it may also be given alongwith iron and folate.     

Prevalence and awareness of excess weight in 13 and 14 year olds in Northern Ireland using recent international guidelines

Concern has been expressed in recent years over the rising trends in overweight and obesity, particularly in children in developed countries. No recent data were available for Northern Ireland, therefore measurements of height and weight were included in a study in Northern Ireland originally designed as part of an international study to estimate the prevalence of symptoms of asthma and atopy in childhood. Twenty-six schools across the province were sampled. 2484 children aged mainly 13 and 14 y completed questionnaires, and 2307 were weighed and measured. Using recently proposed international guidelines on defining overweight and obesity in children the prevalence of overweight in boys was 16%, with 4% being obese. In girls 16% were also overweight and 2% were obese. This concurs with figures for English and Scottish schoolchildren up to 12 y of age from 1994. Less than one-sixth of obese boys but more than one-third of obese girls were on weight-reducing diets (the majority self-prescribed), reflecting differing attitudes towards excess weight. Conclusion: In line with figures in younger children from England and Scotland this study shows that 16% of boys and girls from Northern Ireland are classed as overweight using recent international guidelines. Only 15% of obese boys compared with 38% of obese girls stated that they were on weight-reducing diets.     

Dietary nutrients and blood pressure in urban minority adolescents at risk for hypertension

OBJECTIVE: To determine if blood pressure (BP) level is associated with dietary micronutrients in adolescents at risk for hypertension. DESIGN: Adolescents aged 14 to 16 years, with BP higher than the 90th percentile on 2 separate measurements in a school setting, had diet assessments. A 24-hour intake recall was obtained on 180 students (108 boys and 72 girls). Folic acid intake was used as an index of fruit, vegetable, and whole grain intake; the high folate group had a folate intake greater than the recommended daily allowance and the low folate group had a folate intake less than the recommended daily allowance. Data were analyzed by 2-way analysis of variance. RESULTS: Mean diastolic BP was significantly higher in the low folate vs the high folate group (boys: 72 vs. 67 mm Hg; girls: 76 vs. 73 mm Hg; P =.008). The difference in systolic blood pressure was not significant. There was no difference in body mass index between the diet groups. Sodium intake per 4184 kJ was not different. The low folate group had significantly lower intakes per 4184 kJ of potassium (P =.002), calcium (P = .001), magnesium (P<.001), and total intake of beta carotene, cholecalciferol, vitamin E, and all B vitamins. CONCLUSIONS: Among adolescents at risk for hypertension, BP was lower in those with higher intakes of a combination of nutrients, including potassium, calcium, magnesium, and vitamins. Dietary benefits on BP observed on diets rich in a combination of nutrients derived from fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products could contribute to primary prevention of hypertension when instituted at an early age.     

Growth and nutrition of Chinese vegetarian children in Hong Kong

OBJECTIVE: The study investigated the nutritional status of Chinese lacto-ovo-vegetarian children aged 4-14 years. METHODOLOGY: Dietary intake over 7 days was assessed using a computer program, previously used for a local population-based dietary survey. Anthropometric measurements were made and fasting venous blood was examined for serum lipids, haematological data, iron, vitamin B12 and folate status. Bone mineral density (BMD) of the spine (L2 - L4) was measured as a reflection of calcium status. RESULTS: Fifty-one lacto-ovo-vegetarians aged 4-14 years were investigated. The mean +/- standard deviation (SD) daily energy intake was 1600 +/- 425 kcal. The mean (+/- SD) daily protein intake was 1.6 +/- 0.6 g/kg bodyweight which met the United States recommended dietary allowance. Compared to that of the local omnivore diet, the vegetarian diet was closer to the recommended healthy diet with lower fat (20-23%), more fibre (5.8-8.7 g/day) and better polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio (1.0-1.1). Growth and BMD of the vegetarian children were comparable to the general omnivore population. Two children had iron deficiency and two children had anaemia. The calcium status, as reflected by the BMD, was not impaired. Serum folate and vitamin B12 were within the normal range. Six (25%) boys and four (15%) girls were obese. Three boys had hyperlipidaemia. CONCLUSIONS: A Hong Kong Chinese vegetarian diet appears healthy, providing adequate iron and vitamin B12 nutrition, but the prevalence of obesity was high.     

Micronutrients

Micronutrients are essential dietary components and play a fundamental role in the prevention of disease. 30 are essential and cannot be synthesized by the body on a daily basis, making dietary sources critical. Micronutrients have an array of biochemical functions which are fundamental in the homoeostatic regulation of body function. It is at any point in a metabolic pathway that the chemical reaction may be unable to continue along its nature cascading pathway because the essential micronutrient is lacking. The normal metabolic regulation of the body will have been disturbed and ill health may occur due to the absence of a specific micronutrients. Several population groups with specific nutritional requirements, complex social, environmental and economic circumstances may be at risk of inadequate micronutrient intakes due to poor consumption or excessive losses, and hence maybe unable to meet their recommended requirements of micronutrients. This group may benefit from micronutrient supplements. Infants/children are a specific population group who are at risk of micronutrient deficiency states making adequate intakes essential to ensure normal growth and development. The paediatric group will be discussed here, with reference to current recommendations for their micronutrient and supplementation requirements based on current evidence available to advisory groups.     

A nutrition study in juvenile elite gymnasts

Twenty-two female teenagers engaged in elite gymnast training and 22 healthy girls of comparable age were studied with regard to nutritional intake. The mean daily intakes of most nutrients in both groups were in accordance with the Swedish Nutritional Recommendations; exceptions were iron and dietary fibre which were too low in both groups. The individual variation was large in both groups and many subjects had an intake below the nutritional recommendations. Both the gymnasts and the reference group had an energy intake significantly below the estimated energy need. The mean daily energy intake was 725 kcal less than the energy need in the gymnast group and 450 kcal less in the reference group. The clinical investigation revealed that several gymnasts had delayed menarche or irregular menstruation as well as less body fat than the reference group. Among the gymnasts, girls with a regular menstrual pattern had more body fat than those who had not started to menstruate. The higher energy expenditure of the gymnasts could partly explain their smaller amounts of body fat, late pubertal development and menstrual patterns.     

Dietary guideline adherence during preconception and pregnancy: A systematic review

The aim of this study is to determine the level of adherence to dietary guidelines among men and women during preconception, and pregnant women, and factors associated with adherence. Searches were conducted in CINAHL, AMED, EMBASE, and Maternity and Infant Care from inception to March 2018. Observational studies assessing the primary outcome (adherence to dietary guidelines and/or nutritional recommendations) and/or secondary outcome (factors associated with adherence) were eligible. Study quality was assessed using the National Institutes of Health Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross‐sectional studies. Men or women (aged ≥18 years) who identified as trying/intending to conceive or were pregnant. Eighteen studies were included. The quality of studies was fair (44%) to good (56%). Most studies indicated preconceptual and pregnant women do not meet recommendations for vegetable, cereal grain, or folate intake. Pregnant women did not meet iron or calcium intake requirements in 91% and 55% of included studies, respectively, and also exceeded fat intake recommendations in 55% of included studies. Higher level education was associated with improved guideline adherence in pregnant women, whereas older age and non‐smoking status were associated with greater guideline adherence in preconceptual and pregnant women. The findings of this review suggest that preconceptual and pregnant women may not be meeting the minimum requirements stipulated in dietary guidelines and/or nutritional recommendations. This could have potential adverse consequences for pregnancy and birth outcomes and the health of the offspring. Major knowledge gaps identified in this review, which warrant further investigation, are the dietary intakes of men during preconception, and the predictors of guideline adherence.     

Nutritional management of the gluten-free diet in young people with celiac disease in The Netherlands

BACKGROUND: For young people with celiac disease, adherence to the gluten-free diet may be difficult to achieve and gluten restriction may lead to insufficient nutrient intake and unbalanced food intake resulting in overweight. In The Netherlands, no nutritional information is available. Therefore, we evaluated the nutritional management and nutritional state in young celiac patients. METHODS: The Dutch Celiac Society invited all its members aged 12 to 25 years to complete a food record and a questionnaire. Nutrient intakes were compared with the recommendations and the intake in the general population. Total immunoglobin A, endomysial antibody, tissue transglutaminase and IgA gliadin were determined, and height and weight were assessed. RESULTS: Strict dietary compliance was reported by 75%. The fiber and iron intakes were significantly lower, and the saturated fat intake significantly higher than recommended but comparable with the general population. Most of the patients (61%) found the diet easy to follow. Regular medical controls were reported by 86% but regular dietary controls by only 7% of the patients. Mean and SD scores for height and body mass index were -0.3 +/- 1.1 and -0.3 +/- 0.8, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The dietary compliance in this group is high, the nutritional state is adequate, but the nutrient intake is not. Better medical and dietary support is necessary to prevent long-term complications and to achieve an ongoing satisfying management in this group of young patients with a chronic disorder.     

Gender differences in food-related concerns, beliefs and behaviours of North Queensland adolescents

Objective : To describe the beliefs, attitudes, behaviours and knowledge of North Queensland adolescents about food and nutrition.
Methodology : A questionnaire surveyed 791 Year 8 students from private schools.
Results : More girls than boys felt guilt about food, sometimes ate from boredom, reported trying to select foods that were good for them and were concerned about the fat content of food; 30% of boys and 17% of girls thought they should be concerned about their food intake only when overweight.
Low daily dietary intakes were reported for: bread, fruit, vegetables and dairy products with only 24% eating at least one fruit, one vegetable, one dairy product and one core cereal food daily. Fat and sugar intake was high: 41% students ate high fat savoury foods and 53% ate high sugar foods at least seven times during the week.
Parents, television and school provided information about food and nutrition to 70-80% of these students, followed by friends and magazines with doctors and teachers providing information on weight and weight loss to 10% of students.
Conclusions : Doctors should be aware of the low intake of recommended foods as well as the high intakes of fat and sugar among adolescents and the gender differences in food related beliefs and behaviours when treating nutrition related diseases and providing guidance for their prevention.