Comparison of dietary habits in the urban and rural Croatian schoolchildren.
BACKGROUND
Post-war socio-economic changes in Croatia probably affected dietary habits, and dietary data about schoolchildren after the war are missing.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to compare current nutrient intakes and dietary behavior between urban and rural schoolchildren in Croatia.


METHODS
A completely quantified Food Frequency Questionnaire was used. Subjects were 315 urban and 163 rural schoolchildren. Mean age was 12.5 and 12.6 years in the urban and rural area, respectively.


RESULTS
Consumption of fast food, soft drinks and alcohol was more prevalent and more linked with dietary behavior in the urban than in the rural area. In both living areas protein intake was excessive (in the urban area 38.1% of subjects and in the rural 36.2% of subjects had protein intake higher than 200% RDA). Under 75% RDA/DRI in both living areas was observed for vitamin D, folate, calcium and selenium. Micronutrient intakes negatively correlated with age in both living areas, but were more pronounced in the urban area.


CONCLUSIONS
The urban sample had more adequate energy and nutrient intakes which is consistent with prewar findings.
Colić-Barić
Irena
I
Laboratory for Food Chemistry and Nutrition, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. icolic@pbf.hr
Kajfez
Romana
R
Satalić
Zvonimir
Z
Cvjetić
Selma
S
D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D017523:Croatia; D004032:Diet / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D004435:Eating; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D012424:Rural Population; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population; D014857:Warfare