Mm. Zive et al., VITAMIN AND MINERAL INTAKES OF ANGLO-AMERICAN AND MEXICAN-AMERICAN PRESCHOOLERS, Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 95(3), 1995, pp. 329-335
Objective To assess vitamin and mineral intakes of Anglo-American and
Mexican-American preschoolers. Design By use of interview and observat
ion methods, acquire food intake data, calculate total nutrient intake
, and compare selected nutrients to the Recommended Dietary Allowances
(RDAs) for ethnic and gender groups. Subjects Low- to middle-income p
arents and their preschool children (N=351) recruited from preschools
in San Diego, Calif, consented to participate in the Study of Children
's Activity and Nutrition conducted by researchers at the University o
f California, San Diego. Main outcome measures Data regarding 15 nutri
ents were summarized based on the average of two food intake records f
ar each preschooler. Statistical analyses performed Means and standard
deviations were used to describe micronutrient intakes for ethnic and
gender groups; analyses of variance and t tests were performed to det
ermine ethnic and gender difference. Results Boys and Anglo-Americans
had higher total nutrient intakes than girls and Mexican-Americans, re
spectively. Mexican-Americans had higher nutrient intakes per energy i
ntake, which indicates a micronutrient-dense diet. When each nutrient
was considered by the two thirds of the RDA criterion (66% of the RDA
means adequate intake), the nutrients most likely to be inadequate wer
e iron, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin C, and niacin. Mexican-American girls
had significantly lower calcium intakes than the other gender and eth
nic groups. Application Parents and day care providers must ensure tha
t preschoolers, especially girls and Mexican-Americans, eat nutrient-r
ich foods in adequate quantities that will achieve the recommended int
akes.