title: Dietary fatty acid intake, its food sources and determinants in European adolescents: the HELENA (Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence) Study.
abstract: Dietary fatty acids (FA) play a role in several (patho)physiological processes at any age, and different FA have different effects on lipid status and health outcome. The present study aims to describe the FA intake and its main food sources in a population of healthy European adolescents and to assess the variation in intake as a function of non-dietary factors. FA intake was assessed with 24 h recall interviews in 1804 adolescents aged 12·5-17·5 years. Usual intakes were calculated using the multiple source method. Multilevel analyses, adjusting for study centre, were used to investigate the influence of non-dietary factors. The mean total fat intake was 33·3 (sd 1·2) % of total energy intake (%E). The mean SFA intake was 13·8 (sd 1·2) %E, with 99·8 % of the population exceeding the recommendations. SFA was mainly delivered by meat and cake, pies and biscuits. In most adolescents, the PUFA intake was too low, and 35·5 % of the population did not achieve the minimum recommended intake for α-linolenic acid (ALA). The main determinants of FA intake in the present study population were age and sex, as well as physical activity in the male subgroup. No contributions of body composition, socio-economic status or sexual maturation to the variance in FA intake were observed. In conclusion, the most important public health concerns regarding FA intake in this adolescent population were the low intake of ALA and the high intake of SFA, mainly seen in the younger-aged boys. In this group the major contributor to SFA was meat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185 - 2 Blok A, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Krishna.Vyncke@UGent.be
authors.forename: Krishna E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Vyncke
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Libuda
authors.forename: Tineke
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: De Vriendt
authors.forename: Luis A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: Myriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Winckel
authors.forename: Yannis
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Manios
authors.forename: Frederic
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gottrand
authors.forename: Denes
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Molnar
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vanaelst
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sjöström
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: González-Gross
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Censi
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Widhalm
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Michels
authors.forename: Chantal C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xatzis
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cuenca García
authors.forename: Fátima Pérez
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: de Heredia
authors.forename: Stefaan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Henauw
authors.forename: Inge
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Huybrechts
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005060:Europe; D015444:Exercise; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D012737:Sex Factors; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid