The early childhood years are a critical period of growth and development with high energy and nutrient needs. It has previously been reported that most (99–100%) pre-schoolers in Ireland consumed meals and snacks, with breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks each contributing 22–25% of energy intakes (%E)(Reference Nugent, Martyn and Gibney1).
Furthermore, this population group have high intakes of saturated fat, free sugar and salt and low intakes of vitamin D, iron and long-chain-PUFA(Reference Walton, Kehoe and McNulty2). The aim of this study was to examine age-related differences in the intakes of saturated fat, free sugars, vitamin D and iron from meals and snacks in children aged 1–3years in Ireland. Analyses were based on the National Pre-School Nutrition Survey (NPNS) (2010–11) which used a 4- day weighed food diary to collect food and beverage intake data in pre-school children (1-4y) (www.iuna.net) (subgroup of 1-3-year-olds (n 376) used for this study). Nutrient intakes were estimated using WISP© based on UK and Irish food composition databases(3,Reference Black, Ireland and Moller4) . Meal types were participant-defined (by caregiver) during the recording period and categorised (using SPSS© V26) into ‘breakfast’, ‘lunch’, ‘dinner’ and ‘snacks. Significant differences (p < 0.001) in intakes of nutrients (energy-adjusted, excluding supplements) from meals/snacks across age-groups (1y, 2y, 3y) were assessed using a one-way ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc tests. From breakfast, 1-year-olds had higher intakes of saturated fat (15%E) and iron (11.5mg/1000kcal) compared to 2- and 3-year-olds (13-14%E and 10.5-10.5mg/1000kcal, respectively), intakes of free sugars increased with increasing age (1y: 8%E, 2y: 11%E, 3y: 15%E), and 1- and 2-year-olds had higher intakes of vitamin D (2.8- 3.3μg/1000kcal) compared to 3-year-olds (2.2μg/1000kcal). From lunch, there were no differences in saturated fat intake across age-groups. With increasing age, intakes of free sugars increased (1y: 7%E, 2y: 9%E, 3y: 11%E), intakes of iron decreased (1y: 5.7mg/1000kcal, 2y: 5.2mg/1000kcal, 3y: 4.9mg/1000kcal) and 1- and 2-year-olds had higher intakes of vitamin D (1.9-2.1μg/1000kcal) compared to 3-year-olds (1.6μg/1000kcal). From dinner, there were no differences in vitamin D intake across age-groups. Three-year- old's had higher intakes of saturated fat (15%E) compared to 1- and 2-year-olds (13-14%E), 1-year-olds had lower intakes of free sugars (6%E) compared to 2- and 3-year-olds (7-8%E) and higher intakes of iron (5.6mg/1000kcal) compared to 2-year-olds (4.9mg/1000kcal). From snacks, 1- and 3-year-olds had higher intakes of saturated fat (15%) compared to 2-year-olds (13%E), 3-year-olds had higher intakes of free sugars (19%E) and lower intakes of iron (3.8mg/1000kcal) compared to 1- and 2-year-olds (16%E and 4.6- 4.8mg/1000kcal, respectively) and intakes of vitamin D decreased with increasing age (1y: 2.3μg/1000kcal, 2y: 1.6μg/1000kcal, 3y: 1.2μg/1000kcal).This study provides important information on the intake of nutrients from meals and snacks across age-groups among young children in Ireland and will be useful for policy makers and health professionals to inform strategies to improve the dietary patterns of this population.
Acknowledgments
The National Pre-School Nutrition Survey was funded by the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the current study was funded by Danone Ireland.
