title: Dietary patterns of infants and toddlers are associated with nutrient intakes.
abstract: Dietary patterns are a useful summary measure of diet. Few studies have examined the nutrient profiles underpinning the dietary patterns of young children. The study aim is to determine whether dietary patterns at 6 and 15 months of age are associated with nutrient intakes at 8 and 18 months, respectively. Participants were children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children who had complete dietary pattern and nutrient intake data (n = 725 at 6-8 months, n = 535 at 15-18 months). The association between tertiles of dietary pattern scores and nutrient intake was examined using a non-parametric test for trend. Scores on the home-made traditional pattern (6-8 months) were positively associated with median energy intake. Each dietary pattern had different associations with energy-adjusted intakes of macro- and micro-nutrients. At both times, the discretionary pattern was positively and the ready-prepared baby foods pattern was negatively associated with sodium intake. At 6-8 months, calcium and iron intakes decreased across scores on the home-made traditional and breastfeeding patterns, but increased across the ready-prepared baby food patterns. These findings highlight that dietary patterns in infants and toddlers vary in their underlying energy and nutrient composition.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Public Health, School of Population Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, South Australia, Australia. lisa.smithers@adelaide.edu.au
authors.forename: Lisa G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Smithers
authors.forename: Rebecca K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Golley
authors.forename: Laima
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brazionis
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Emmett
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Northstone
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lynch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004034:Diet Surveys; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology; D004739:England; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D008297:Male; D009753:Nutritive Value; D011247:Pregnancy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires