title: Estimation of fish intake in Asian and white female adolescents, and association with 2-year changes in body fatness and body fat distribution: the female adolescent maturation study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fish is an important source of long-chain n-3 fatty acids in the diets of female adolescents, which may affect adipose tissue deposition.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate fish intake in Asian and white female adolescents, and to determine whether fish intake was associated with changes in body fatness and body fat distribution in this population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional analysis of fish intake using 3-day food records (n=200), and a prospective analysis of baseline fish intake on anthropometric measurements 2 years later was conducted (n=103).
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants included female adolescents (aged 9 to 14 years) who were recruited from the Kaiser Permanente Oahu membership database in 2000-2001 as part of the Female Adolescent Maturation study (N=349).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fish intake and the proportion of participants eating 8 oz fish per week was compared between Asian, white, and mixed Asian/white ethnic groups using Kruskal-Wallis test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, and χ(2) test, respectively. The effect of fish intake on anthropometric measurements was assessed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient and linear regression analyses, adjusting for demographic, pubertal, anthropometric, activity, and dietary parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Asians consumed more fish (0.85 oz/wk [range=0.00 to 4.74 oz/wk]) than whites (0.00 oz/wk [0.00 to 0.40 oz/wk]; P=0.0001), and were more likely to eat 8 oz fish per week (13 of 68 vs 2 of 51, respectively; P=0.014). Greater fish intake corresponded to smaller changes in waist circumference when controlling for age, ethnicity, puberty, activity, energy intake, and baseline waist circumference (P=0.026), but not after adjusting for parental and additional dietary parameters (P>0.10).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most female adolescents did not consume the recommended amount of fish, a problem that was more common in whites than Asians. The protective effect of fish intake on abdominal obesity warrants further study.
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: St-Jules
authors.forename: Corilee A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Watters
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Novotny
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D044466:Asian People; D050218:Body Fat Distribution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015930:Diet Records; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002149:Energy Intake; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008460:Meat; D009043:Motor Activity; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000502:physiology; D055105:Waist Circumference; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3
keywords: Adolescent; Female; Fish; Obesity; n-3