Dairy fortification as a good option for dietary nutrition status improvement of 676 preschool children in China: A simulation study based on a cross-sectional diet survey (2018–2019)

Abstract

BackgroundChinese children are deficient in several essential nutrients due to poor dietary choices. Dairy products are a source of many under-consumed nutrients, but preschool children in China consume dairy products significantly less than the recommended level.MethodsFrom the cross-sectional dietary intake survey of infants and young children aged 0–6 years in China (2018–2019), preschool children (age: 3–6 years) (n = 676) were selected. The four-day dietary data (including 2 working days and 2 weekends) collected through an online diary with reference to the food atlas were used for analysis and simulation. In scenario 1, individual intake of liquid milk equivalents was substituted at a corresponding volume by soymilk, cow’s milk, or formulated milk powder for preschool children (FMP-PSC). In scenario 2, the amount of cow’s milk or FMP-PSC increased to ensure each child’s dairy intake reached the recommended amount (350 g/day). In both scenarios, the simulated nutrient intakes and nutritional inadequacy or surplus were compared to the survey’s actual baseline data.ResultsIt was suggested suggested that replacing dairy foods with FMP-PSC at matching volume is better than replacing them with soymilk or cow’s milk to increase the intake of DHA, calcium, iron, zinc, iodine, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B3, vitamin B12, vitamin C and vitamin D. Moreover, our results suggested that adding FMP-PSC to bring each child’s dairy intake to the recommended amount can bring the intakes of dietary fiber, DHA, calcium, iron, zinc, iodine, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B3, vitamin B9, vitamin B12, vitamin C and vitamin D more in line with the recommendations when compared with cow’s milk.ConclusionAccurate nutrition information should be provided to the parents of preschool children so as to guide their scientific consumption of dairy products and the usage and addition of fortified dairy products can be encouraged as needed.

Impact of Replacing Soft Drinks with Dairy Products on Micronutrient Intakes of Chinese Preschool Children: A Simulation Study

“…In our study, compared to the reported data, the intake of vitamin A in children increased and the proportion of children with inadequate intake thereof decreased in all three models. The FMP-PSC model showed the strongest improvement, which was similar to the results of our previous simulation study [ 17 ]. When increasing the amount of cow’s milk or FMP-PSC to ensure that each child’s dairy intake reached the recommended amount (350 g/day), FMP-PSC had a more significant effect on improving vitamin A intake compared to cow’s milk [ 17 ].…”

“…It is crucial to ensure adequate calcium intake during the preschool period, and supplementing dietary calcium intake in the diet can significantly enhance bone mineral density, particularly in children with low baseline calcium intakes, which is currently the case in China [ 17 ]. In this study, it was found that the substitution of soymilk did not affect children’s calcium intake.…”

“…The collection of four-day dietary data for preschool children, using an online diary with a food atlas to improve the accuracy of estimation, has been described previously [ 17 ]. The trade names of soft drinks and dietary supplements were also recorded during the survey.…”

“…However, unlike soft drinks, the per capita dairy consumption of Chinese residents still has a significant gap compared to the world average [ 15 , 16 ]. According to our research group’s cross-sectional dietary intake survey on infants and young children in China (DSIYC, 2018–2019), 88.31% of preschool children did not meet the recommended 350 g per day of dairy products [ 17 ]. As an excellent source of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin A, B vitamins, and vitamin D, dairy products are recognized worldwide as an ideal dietary component to improve the nutritional status of preschool children [ 18 ].…”

“…The low level of dairy consumption among preschool children is a direct cause of an inadequate intake of calcium, vitamin A, and other micronutrients, which is a cause for concern. Taking calcium as an example, the proportion of Chinese preschool children whose calcium intake was lower than the estimated average requirement (EAR) reached 91.57% [ 17 ].…”