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Community and International Nutrition

Tracking of Dietary Intake Patterns of Chinese from Childhood to Adolescence over a Six-Year Follow-Up Period^{1 ,2 ,3}

Youfa Wang⁴, Margaret E. Bentley^*, Fengying Zhai and Barry M. Popkin^*

Department of Human Nutrition and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL; ^* Department of Nutrition and Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; and Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, Beijing, China

⁴To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: youfwang{at}uic.edu.

Limited literature has explored whether dietary intake patterns are maintained or changed between childhood and adolescence. More research is required to understand the predictors of these patterns. Using longitudinal data collected in China for 984 children initially aged 6–13 y, we examined children’s dietary intake patterns over a 6-y period and the predictors. Detailed data on children’s diets (three 24-h recalls in each survey), anthropometry, sociodemographic characteristics and parental education and occupation were collected. To study the predictors of tracking and changes, we conducted ordinary and multinomial logistic regression analyses. Significant correlations (r = 0.28–0.51, P < 0.05) between individuals’ 1991 and 1997 dietary intakes were observed for macronutrients and major food groups (vegetable and fruit, meat and edible oil), which were also supported by (a statistic measuring agreement beyond chance). About half of those who initially consumed high fat, high carbohydrate, high vegetable and fruit, and high meat diets continued such diets 6 y later. Family income, urban-rural residence, mother’s education and baseline dietary intakes were important predictors of children’s dietary intake patterns. In conclusion, even under conditions of rapid socioeconomic change, children are likely to maintain their dietary intake patterns from childhood into adolescence. Efforts to promote healthy eating behaviors may be more effective if focused on younger children, and parents should be involved in these efforts.

KEY WORDS: • children • adolescents • dietary intake • tracking • China

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