Validation of Dietary Reference Intakes for predicting energy requirements in elementary school-age children

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) for energy are derived from total energy expenditure (TEE) measured using the doubly labelled water (DLW) method. The objective of this study was to assess the validity of DRI for predicting the energy requirements of elementary school-age children. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The present study involved 25 elementary school-age children aged between 9 and 11 years. TEE was assessed by the DLW method, and the results were compared with the TEE predicted by the DRI equations in order to evaluate accuracy. RESULTS: The subjects' TEE measured by the DLW method was 1,925.2 ± 380.9 kcal/day in boys and 1,930.0 ± 279.4 kcal/day in girls, whereas resting energy expenditure was 1,220.2 ± 176.9 kcal/day in boys and 1,245.9 ± 171.3 kcal/day for girls. The physical activity level was 1.58 ± 0.20 in boys and 1.55 ± 0.13 in girls. The mean bias between the predicted and measured TEE was 12.6% in boys and −1.6% in girls, and the percentage of accurate predictions was 28.6% and 63.6%, respectively. In boys, the equation resulted in underprediction of TEE among the subjects having low TEE values, whereas there was overprediction among subjects having high TEE values as shown by the Bland-Altman plot. On the contrary, this proportional bias was not observed in girls. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that the DRI equation for energy could result in the overestimation of energy requirements in elementary school-age boys. In the case of girls, the equations could be accurate at the group level. However, the DRI appears to be invalid for individual girls, as more than one third of girls had their TEE inaccurately predicted. We recommend more studies for confirmation of these results.

Comparación de la ingesta de energía y nutrientes en adolescentes mujeres con sobrepeso y obesidad / Comparison of energy and nutrients intake in female adolescents with overweight and obesity

Introducción: El sobrepeso y la obesidad son consecuencia de una modificación de los patrones dietarios y de una actitud cada vez más sedentaria. Objetivos: Comparar la ingesta de energía y nutrientes de adolescentes mujeres con sobrepeso y obesidad. Diseño: Estudio transversal, observacional y analítico. Lugar: Centro Educativo de la zona urbana de Lima. Participantes: Adolescentes entre 10 a 18 años. Intervención: Se estudió 100 adolescentes con sobrepeso y 87 con obesidad. El diagnóstico se hizo mediante el índice de masa corporal (IMC), con la población de referencia de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) y con los niveles de corte entre 85 y 95 percentil para sobrepeso y más de 95 para obesidad. La evaluación de la cantidad de energía y de nutrientes se realizó mediante un cuestionario de frecuencia semicuantitativo, utilizando la Tabla Peruana de Composición de Alimentos y la del Departamento de Agricultura de los EE UU. Para el porcentaje de adecuación de la energía y para la identificación cuantitativa de la ingesta de vitaminas y mineral se utilizó las recomendaciones de la FAO. El análisis estadístico se hizo con la prueba t-Student para comparación de medias. Principales medidas de resultados: Energía ingerida, adecuación de los nutrientes, cantidad de vitaminas y minerales ingeridos, de acuerdo a los grupos estudiados. Resultados: No hubo diferencia de la ingesta de energía entre los grupos estudiados, y estos valores fueron menores que los requerimientos. La adecuación porcentual mostró que el consumo de las grasas estuvo por debajo del requerimiento; lo mismo sucedió con las grasas saturadas, monoinsaturadas y poliinsaturadas; sin embargo, lo que más se consumió fue la grasa saturada. En cuanto a las vitaminas y minerales, fueron ingeridas en cantidades que cubrían los requerimientos, a excepción de los folatos. La ingesta de fibra fue muy pobre. Conclusiones: Se puede afirmar que el consumo de energía en ambos grupos fue por debajo de su requerimiento, por lo que se podría asumir que la causa de la presencia de estas enfermedades responda a una muy poca actividad física. Por otro lado, el principal problema en la alimentación de este grupo fue la deficiencia en la ingesta de fibra dietaria, de grasa y de folatos.

Introduction: Overweight and obesity result from change in dietary patterns and increasingly sedentary attitude. Objectives: To compare the energy and nutrient intake in female adolescents with overweight and obesity. Design: Cross-sectional, observational and analytical study. Location: Lima’s urban area Education Center. Participants: Adolescents aged 10 to 18 years. Interventions: One hundred overweight adolescents and 87 obese adolescents were studied. Diagnosis was done by body mass index (BMI) with the World Health Organization (WHO) reference population and cutoff levels between 85 and 95 percentile for overweight and over 95 for obesity. Amount of energy and nutrients was determined by a semi quantitative food frequency questionnaire using the Peruvian Table for Food Composition and the Table of the USA Department of Agriculture. FAO recommendations were used to determine the adequate percentage of energy and the quantitative identification of vitamin and mineral intake. Statistical analysis used Student t-test to compare measures. Main outcome measures: Energy intake, ingested nutrients, vitamins and minerals adequacy according to the study groups. Results: There was no difference in energy intake between the groups studied, and these values were lower than requirements. Adequacy of fat consumption, saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats was below requirements; however saturated fat was more consumed. The amount of vitamins and minerals ingested covered requirements except for folates. Fiber intake was very poor. Conclusions: Neither group exceeded energy requirements, so it could be assumed that cause of these conditions was very little physical activity. On the other hand the main problem was dietary fiber, fat and folate intake deficiency.

Application of Dietary Reference Intakes in dietary intake assessment of female university healthcare students in Botucatu, State of São Paulo, Brazil / Aplicação das Dietary Reference Intakes na avaliação do consumo alimentar de estudantes universitárias da área de saúde em Botucatu, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil

University students are usually in their late adolescence and early adult life and this is a moment in life when social changes occur and new eating patterns and habits tend to become established. Then, the energy and micronutrient intake of 112 healthcare students from a public university in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, was evaluated by applying a non-consecutive 3-day dietary record. The energy intake was compared to the Estimated Energy Requirement (EER), and the mean micronutrient intake was compared to the (Estimated Average Requirement) EAR value. To evaluate the prevalence of inadequacy, the ISU (Iowa State University) method was used, and prevalence was calculated by the PC-Side software. It was possible to observe that energy intake was adequate and statistically similar to the recommendation for the population, according to age and gender. High intake inadequacy percentages were found for vitamin E (97.74%), zinc (38%) and thiamine (30%). For vitamins B6, B12 and A, lower inadequacy values were found (27%, 18%, 14.79%, respectively). The results showed an unbalanced dietary quality of most healthcare students, which raises concerns, since they should value a healthy diet and act as real multipliers of such information in society.

Estudiantes universitarios se encuentran generalmente entre el fin de la adolescencia y el inicio de la vida adulta, momento de câmbios sociales, de hábitos alimentares con adquisición de nuevos modelos. Debido a esto, fue evaluada la energía y la ingestión de micronutrientes de 112 estudiantes de salud de una universidad pública en São Paulo, Brasil, utilizando un registro de la dieta de 3 días. La ingesta de energía se comparó con las Estimated Energy Requirement (EER), y la ingesta promedio de micronutrientes en comparación con las Estimated Average Requirement (EAR). Para evaluar la prevalencia de insuficiencia, fue utilizado el método ISU (Iowa State University) y la prevalencia fue calculada por el software PC-Side. Fue posible observar que el consumo de energía es adecuada y estadísticamente similar a la recomendación para la población. Altas porcentajes de insuficiencia de consumose encontraron para vitamina E (97,74%), zinc (38%) y tiamina (30%). Para las vitaminas B6, B12 y A, se encontraron valores más bajos (27%, 18%, 14,79%, respectivamente). Los resultados mostraron un desequilibrio en la dieta de la mayoría de los estudiantes de salud, locual es preocupante, puesto que deben conocer el valor de una dieta saludable y actuar como verdaderos multiplicadores de dicha información.

Estudantes universitários encontram-se geralmente no final da adolescência e início da vida adulta, momento na vida em que ocorrem mudanças sociais e novos padrões e hábitos alimentares tendem a se estabelecer. Assim, o consumo de energia e de micronutrientes de 112 estudantes de saúde de uma universidade pública no Estado de São Paulo, Brasil, foi avaliado através de um registro alimentar de 3 dias não-consecutivos. O consumo de energia foi comparado ao Estimated Energy Requirement (EER) e a ingestão média de micronutrientes foi comparada ao valor de Estimated Average Requirement (EAR). Para avaliar a prevalência de inadequação, o método ISU (Iowa State University) foi utilizado, e a prevalência de inadequação de consumo foi calculada pelo software PC-Side. Foi possível observar que o consumo de energia foi adequado e estatisticamente semelhante à recomendação para a população, de acordo com idade e sexo. Altas porcentagens de consumo inadequado foram encontradas para vitamina E (97,74%), zinco (38%) e tiamina (30%). Para as vitaminas B6, B12 e A, menores valores foram encontrados (27%, 18%, 14,79%, respectivamente). Os resultados mostraram um desequilíbrio na qualidade da alimentação da maioria dos estudantes de saúde, o que é preocupante, uma vez que estes deveriam valorizar a alimentação saudável e atuar como verdadeiros multiplicadores dessas informações na sociedade.