Nutrient intakes and dietary patterns of young children by dietary fat intakes.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether low fat intake is associated with increased risk of nutritional inadequacy in children 2 to 8 years old and to identify eating patterns associated with differences in fat intake.


METHODS
Using 2 days of recall from the Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals (CSFII), 1994 to 1996, we classified 2802 children into quartiles of energy intake from fat (<29%, 29% to 31.9% [defined as moderate fat], 32% to 34.9%, and > or =35%) and compared nutrient intakes, the proportion of children at risk for inadequate intakes, Food Pyramid servings, and fat content per serving across quartiles.


RESULTS
More children in quartile 2 were at risk for inadequate intakes of vitamin E, calcium, and zinc than children in higher quartiles (P <.0001); more children in quartiles 3 and 4 were at risk for inadequate intakes of vitamins A and C and folate (P <.001). Fruit intake decreased across quartiles (P <.0001); whereas vegetable, meat, and fat-based condiment intakes increased (P <.0001). Fat per serving of grain, vegetables, dairy, and meat increased across quartiles (P <.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Moderate-fat diets were not consistently associated with an increased proportion of children at risk for nutritional inadequacy, and higher-fat diets were not consistently protective against inadequacy. Dietary fat could be reduced by judicious selection of lower-fat foods without compromising nutritional adequacy.
Ballew
C
C
Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.
Kuester
S
S
Serdula
M
M
Bowman
B
B
Dietz
W
W
D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018752:Diet, Fat-Restricted; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009751:Nutritional Requirements
D004041:Dietary Fats