Age and time trends in fish consumption pattern of children and adolescents, and consequences for the intake of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.
OBJECTIVE
There is a lack of detailed data on fish consumption in European children and adolescents. We therefore investigated fish consumption patterns, portion sizes and estimated intakes of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA; eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid).


METHODS
From the Dortmund Nutritional and Anthropometric Longitudinally Designed study between 1985 and 2006, yearly 3-day weighed dietary records (N=7152) from 1024 subjects (2-18 years, 49% males) were evaluated.


RESULTS
On 14% of total recorded days fish consumption from 33 different species was documented. In the total sample (in the subgroup with fish intake), mean fish intake almost doubled from 5 to 14 g per day (from 15 to 37 g per day) within the age range. Mean portions of fish increased from 40 to 89 g per portion, predominantly from low-fat fish species. In the total sample mean long-chain (LC) n-3 PUFA intake increased with age from 42 to 141 mg per day (100-324 mg per day in the subgroup with fish intake). Without any fish consumption in the recording period, n-3 LC PUFA intake ranged below 20 mg per day. Within the 20-year time frame, the frequency of fish consumption increased significantly (P<0.0282) from 35% at the start in 1985 to 40% in 2005.


CONCLUSIONS
Fish consumption-even with low intakes as observed here-improves LC n-3 PUFA considerably. Owing to the very low preference for high-fat fish in our sample, the potential of fish intake as an LC n-3 PUFA source was not considered.
Sichert-Hellert
W
W
Research Institute of Child Nutrition (FKE), Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität, Bonn, Germany. sichert@fke-do.de
Wicher
M
M
Kersting
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D015930:Diet Records; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017747:Seafood
D004041:Dietary Fats; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3