title: Dietary Intake Patterns Are Consistent Across Seasons in a Cohort of Healthy Adults in a Metropolitan Population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Current literature provides conflicting data regarding seasonal variability in dietary intake.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to examine seasonal variation in dietary intake in healthy adults from the metropolitan Washington, DC, area.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study utilized an observational cohort design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male and female healthy volunteers (n=103) between the ages of 18 and 75 years were recruited from the metropolitan Washington, DC, area to participate in a clinical study at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center from February 2011 to June 2014.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three- to seven-day food records were collected from subjects (n=76) at three time points (12 to 15 weeks apart). Subjects were excluded from analysis (n=27) if they completed less than three time points. Food records were reviewed by nutrition staff, assigned to a season, and coded in Nutrient Data System for Research for energy, macronutrient, micronutrient, and food-group serving analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multivariate general linear models were run on energy, macronutrient, micronutrient, and food-group intakes, while being adjusted for age, sex, race, and body mass index (calculated as kg/m(2)).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjects had a mean±standard deviation body mass index of 25±3.9 and age of 34±12.4 years. Subject demographics were 71.1% white, 9.2% black/African American, 13.2% Asian, and 6.6% unknown race, with 44.7% males and 55.3% females. Mean intake of energy across seasons was 2,214.6±623.4 kcal with 17.3%±4.1%, 33.6%±5.5%, 46.6%±8.0%, and 2.7%±3.2% of calories from protein, fat, carbohydrate, and alcohol, respectively. Intakes of energy, macronutrients, micronutrients, and food groups did not differ between seasons.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  People living in the metropolitan Washington, DC, area did not exhibit seasonal variation in dietary intake. Therefore, when designing studies of nutrient intake in a metropolitan population, these findings suggest that investigators do not need to consider the season during which diet is examined.
authors.forename: Shanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bernstein
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zambell
authors.forename: Marcelo J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Amar
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arango
authors.forename: Rachel C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Kelley
authors.forename: Susan G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Miszewski
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tryon
authors.forename: Amber B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Courville
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015930:Diet Records; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004219:District of Columbia; D002149:Energy Intake; D005006:Ethnicity; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D009316:National Institutes of Health (U.S.); D010865:Pilot Projects; D012621:Seasons; D014481:United States; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D018977:Micronutrients
keywords: Food groups; Healthy adults; Macronutrients; Micronutrients; Seasonal variation in dietary intake