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Number of days needed to assess energy and nutrient intake in infants and young children between 6 months and 2 years of age

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 58, pages 745–750 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the minimum number of days of recorded dietary intake needed to place infants and young children into thirds of a population distribution with an acceptable degree of accuracy.

Design: Dietary intake data collected from 5-day weighed food records for 72 infants and young children up to 2 y of age, collected during a cross-sectional study, were analysed to estimate the number of recording days necessary to assess intake of energy and 10 nutrients.

Setting: Community study among healthy infants and children.

Subjects: Parents attended recruitment sessions in local community areas. In total, 72 subjects were entered into the study and all completed the 5-day dietary assessment period.

Interventions: A 5-day weighed record of children's dietary intake was made by the parents or regular carer.

Results: Mean within subject standard deviations were smaller than mean between subject standard deviations with respect to energy (778 vs 824 kJ/day), macronutrient subclasses: protein (8 vs 9.4 g/day); fat (9 vs 10 g/day); and carbohydrate (26 vs 29 g/day) and for specific micronutrients: calcium (163 vs 236 mg/day); phosphorus (143 vs 270 mg/day); magnesium (25 vs 43 mg/day); iron (2 vs 3 mg/day); zinc (1 vs 1.3 mg/day); ascorbic acid (27 vs 64 mg/day) and retinol equivalents (281 vs 424 μg/day). Estimated number of days of food records necessary to assess intake of energy, protein, fat and carbohydrate with acceptable degree of accuracy were 5,4,4 and 3, respectively. For all the micronutrients included in this analysis 2 days of recording were necessary.

Conclusions: Compared with adults and older children, fewer days are needed to classify this age group into thirds of the distribution with an acceptable degree of accuracy according to intake of energy and specific nutrients.

Sponsorship: The data collection phase of this study was supported by a grant from the Procter and Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH, USA.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to all the mothers, infants and children who took part in the study.

A previous collaborative study funded by Procter & Gamble and the British Medical Research Council provided the opportunity for this current study. Procter & Gamble has no expressed commercial interest in this study and neither the centre nor individual authors have any current financial relationship with the company.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MRC-Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, Institute of Child Health, London, UK

    J A Lanigan, J C K Wells, M S Lawson & A Lucas

  2. Centre for Paediatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Child Health, London, UK

    T J Cole

Authors
  1. J A Lanigan
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  2. J C K Wells
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  3. M S Lawson
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  4. T J Cole
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  5. A Lucas
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Contributions

Guarantor: Professor A Lucas.

Contributors: JAL coordinated the study, conducted the field work and analysis, prepared the original manuscript and edited subsequent versions. JCW assisted with the field work and analyses; advised on and read all versions of the manuscript. MSL assisted in the original study design, participated in the field work and advised on and read all versions of the manuscript. TJC advised on appropriate statistical analyses, reviewed the analyses and read the final manuscript. AL conceived the original study and assisted in the design and appraisal of the findings.

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Correspondence to J A Lanigan.

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Lanigan, J., Wells, J., Lawson, M. et al. Number of days needed to assess energy and nutrient intake in infants and young children between 6 months and 2 years of age. Eur J Clin Nutr 58, 745–750 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601872

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601872

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