Nutritional survey in Greek children: nutrient intake

Abstract

The aim of the survey was to record the food habits and nutrient intake of Greek children. Data was obtained by a 3 d household measured diet record from a random strati®ed sample (1936 children aged 2±14 y). Mean daily protein intake was much higher than PRI and none of the children had lower intake than AR. Mean energy intake from protein was 15%, carbohydrate 44% and fat 41%. Eighty-four percent of children had energy intake from fat higher than the AR. Saturated fatty acids (SFA) provided approximately 15%, monounsaturated (MUFA) 17% and polyunsaturated (PUFA) 6% of energy. Eighty-seven percent of children had higher intake of SFA than the AR. Six percent of children had SFA intake lower than the AR and 50% higher than the AR. None of the children had PUFA intake lower than PRI and 0.3% higher than the maximum limit. 4.2% of children had calcium intake lower than LTI and 88% higher or equal to PRI. All children had phosphorus intake higher than PRI and less than the lower safe ratio of Ca/P; 50% of them had P intake higher than 1.5 g/d. The majority of children had suf®cient iron intake with the exception of menstruated girls. Mean vitamin A intake was higher than PRI and lower than the toxic levels. All children had vitamin C intake higher than LTI. Median vitamin D intake varied from 1.7±2.1 mgr. Median energy intake was higher than the AR in preschool children, but lower in the older children. We conclude that Greek children do not underintake energy and protein, overintake SFA, have safe intake of PUFA, vitamin A and C and high intake of MUFA, underintake carbohydrates, have adequate Ca, but a considerably high P intake. Vitamin D is low in small children, but the biological available vitamin D is obviously higher due to sunlight.

Validity and reproducibility of a computerised tool for assessing the iron, calcium and vitamin C intake of Belgian women

“…Analogous observations have been reported in other European countries (Michaud et al, 1989;Belton et al, 1997;Roma-Giannikou et al, 1997;Cruz, 2000;Rolland-Cachera et al, 2000;Samuelson, 2000). It is however, not clear to what extent this observation of low iron intake is also translated into low iron status in these young girls, and to what extent this problem would persist during the reproductive period of life of adult women and how it possibly affects their pregnancies and offspring.…”

Nutrition-related habits of Greek adolescents

“…The 1997The -1998 study took place in 29 countries and regions, including Greece. Three age groups were sampled designed to represent the onset of adolescenceFage 11 y; the challenge of physical and emotional changesFage 13 y; and the middle years, when important life decisions are beginning to be madeFage 15 y.…”

The high-fat Greek diet: a recipe for all?

“…However, none of these 15 studies are nationally representative, except for one survey conducted on school children in the early 1990s (Roma-Giannikou et al, 1997). A summary of these surveys with the fat intakes, is presented in Table 2.…”

“…There were also a series of case -control hospital-based studies carried out in Athens in the early 1980s, and eventually published in 1991 and reviewed in 1993 Katsouyanni et al, 1991). The first attempt at a mainland representative survey (of schoolchildren) was that carried out by Roma-Giannikou et al (1997) in the early 1990s and involved 1936 school-age children from three of the 52 countries within Greece. Then the Athens group made use of the 1993 -1994 representative household budget survey data collected on 6756 households in 13 regions (Trichopoulou & Lagiou, 1998), for estimating intakes.…”