Dietary intake of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in Korean toddlers 12–24 months of age with comparison to the dietary recommendations

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Adequate dietary fatty acid intake is important for toddlers between 12–24 months of age, as this is a period of dietary transition in conjunction with rapid growth and development; however, actual fatty acid intake during this period seldom has been explored. This study was conducted to assess the intake status of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids by toddlers during the 12–24-month period using 2010–2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Twenty-four-hour dietary recall data of 12–24-month-old toddlers (n = 544) was used to estimate the intakes of α-linolenic acid (ALA; 18:3n-3), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5n-3), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3), linoleic acid (LA; 18:2n-6), and arachidonic acid (AA; 20:4n-6), as well as the major dietary sources of each. The results were compared with the expected intake for exclusively breastfed infants in the first 6 months of life and available dietary recommendations. RESULTS: Mean daily intakes of ALA, EPA, DHA, LA, and AA were 529.9, 22.4, 37.0, 3907.6, and 20.0 mg/day, respectively. Dietary intakes of these fatty acids fell below the expected intake for 0–5-month-old exclusively breastfed infants. In particular, DHA and AA intakes were 4 to 5 times lower. The dietary assessment indicated that the mean intake of essential fatty acids ALA and LA was below the European and the FAO/WHO dietary recommendations, particularly for DHA, which was approximately 30% and 14–16% lower, respectively. The key sources of the essential fatty acids, DHA, and AA were soy (28.2%), fish (97.3%), and animals (53.7%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the prevailing view of DHA and AA requirements on early brain development, there remains considerable room for improvement in their intakes in the diets of Korean toddlers. Further studies are warranted to explore how increasing dietary intakes of DHA and AA could benefit brain development during infancy and early childhood.

Validez y fiabilidad de una herramienta para determinar la etapa de cambio de comportamiento en relación al consumo diario de 5 porciones de frutas y hortalizas en adultos / Validity and reliability of a tool to determine the stage of behavior change in relation to the daily consumption of 5 portions of fruits and vegetables in adults

RESUMEN Las frutas y hortalizas son parte fundamental de una alimentación saludable, sin embargo, en Argentina, su consumo ha disminuido notablemente en las últimas décadas. Con motivo de generar estrategias que permitan orientar el proceso de la consejería nutricional se decidió evaluar la validez y la fiabilidad de una herramienta auto-administrada para determinar etapa de cambio de comportamiento en relación al consumo diario de 5 porciones de frutas y hortalizas, basándose en el Modelo Transteórico. El instrumento presenta una moderada estabilidad temporal (coeficiente kappa= 0,48). A su vez, el análisis de comparaciones múltiples determinó diferencias significativas entre las etapas de pre-contemplación y preparación con respecto a las de acción y mantenimiento y de la etapa de contemplación con respecto a la de mantenimiento. Esta herramienta permitirá discriminar a las personas según la etapa en la que se encuentren y así orientar los mensajes y las estrategias de promoción del consumo de frutas y vegetales.

ABSTRACT Fruits and vegetables are a fundamental part of a healthy diet, however, in Argentina, their consumption has decreased significantly in recent decades. In order to generate strategies to guide the process of nutritional counseling, it was decided to evaluate the validity and reliability of a self-administered tool to determine the stage of behavior change, based on the Transheoretical Model, in relation to the daily consumption of 5 portions of fruits and vegetables. The tool showed a moderate temporal stability (kappa coefficient= 0.48) and the analysis of multiple comparisons determined significant differences between the stages of pre-contemplation and preparation with respect to those of action and maintenance. Also between the contemplation stage with respect to maintenance stage. This tool will allow for the classification of people according to the stage in which they find themselves and thus guide messages and strategies to promote the consumption of fruits and vegetables.