Schoolchildren have similar predicted prevalences of inadequate intakes as toddlers in village populations in Egypt, Kenya, and Mexico.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the probability of inadequacy of schoolchild nutrient intakes; to compare the predicted adequacy of schoolchild diets to previously published data for toddler diets and to examine the relative adequacy of the diets of sibling pairs.


METHODS
Food consumption data were measured 2 days per month across approximately one year. Mean nutrient intakes were calculated and compared to international standards using a probability approach.


METHODS
Villages in Egypt, Kenya, and Mexico.


METHODS
285 school-age children (7-9 years of age) and 255 toddlers (18-30 months of age) including 94 sibling pairs.


RESULTS
Within a country, there was a striking similarity between the nutrients predicted to be inadequate in schoolchild and toddler diets across all nutrients except vitamin B12, which was more likely to be inadequate among schoolchildren. Nutrients of concern for both ages in one or more countries included iron, zinc, calcium, riboflavin, and vitamins B12, D, E, and A. For 94 toddler-schoolchild pairs, siblings at high risk of nutrient inadequacy could be identified from an indicator child with a sensitivity of 43-100% and a specificity of 59-100%.


CONCLUSIONS
Nutrient adequacy tends to be a household characteristic for these two ages of children. Nutritional interventions that target the household have a high probability of benefitting multiple age groups of children.
D002648:Child; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D015995:Prevalence; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018881:Suburban Health