Characteristics of a random sample of emergency food program users in New York: I. Food pantries.

Food pantry users throughout New York State were studied and many demographic differences found between New York City and Upstate New York respondents. Seven percent of households had no income and median income as percent of the poverty level was 59 percent. Slightly more than 40 percent were spending over 60 percent of their incomes on housing. The data from this survey, the first in New York State to employ a random sampling design, demonstrate a sizable gap between household needs and available resources.

Characteristics of a random sample of emergency food program users in New York: II. Soup kitchens.

A random sample of soup kitchen clients in New York City was studied and specific comparisons made on various parameters including homelessness. Compared with the general population of low income persons, soup kitchen users were overwhelmingly male, disproportionately African-American, and more likely to live alone. The homeless (41 percent of the sample) were less likely to receive food stamps or free food, or to use food pantries. Fewer of them received Medicaid or had health insurance. Forty-seven percent had no income in contrast to 29 percent of the total sample.

Nutritional status of children and teenagers in relation to vitamin and mineral use.

The use of vitamin and mineral supplements by children and teenagers in NHANES II was examined for relationships with demographic variables, dietary intakes from food, and biochemical measures of nutritional status and was compared with use reported in other nutrition studies. The number of regular supplement users decreased with age until about age 13, when the percentage of boys using supplements plateaued at about 10% but the percentage of use among girls increased. In general, children were more likely to receive supplements if they came from families with a household head who was white and better educated. Children from the lowest income level (poverty index less than 1.0) received supplements less frequently than other children. Among preschool children, supplement use by mothers and children was highly correlated. For most age groups, supplement users consumed more vitamin C from food than non-users. Users of supplements had higher mean serum levels of vitamins A and C and a lower incidence of low serum values for those nutrients than non-users. Fewer children took iron supplements than vitamin supplements, but most of the iron supplements were taken as part of a multiple vitamin plus iron preparation. There were no significant differences in either mean values for indexes of iron status or the percentage of low iron status values between children who received supplemental iron and those who did not.

Sources of kilocalories and macronutrients in the infant diet.

Sources of kilocalories in the diet of 270 infants from birth to 1 year were examined. Introduction of beikost was rapid: 27 percent of kilocalories in the diet of 2-month-old infants was provided by foods other than milk or formula. Table foods contributed very little to caloric intakes of children less than 5 months of age. Commercially prepared baby foods were the predominant form of beikost given, except to infants in the 9 to 12 months age group. Use of junior foods steadily increased during the first year; by the age of 9 to 12 months, half of the kilocalories from strained and junior foods were provided by junior foods. Proximate composition of the diet was also examined. With increasing age, contributions of protein and carbohydrate to infants' caloric intake were larger and the contribution of fat was lower. Although average percentages of kilocalories from protein, fat, and carbohydrate fell within specified guidelines, proximate composition of the diet of various groups of infants did not conform to these guidelines. These groups included (a) breast-fed infants given beikost, (b) a subgroup of the children fed cow's milk, (c) infants fed skim milk, and (d) children who received a high percentage of kilocalories from beikost.

Infant feeding practices of families belonging to a prepaid group practice health care plan.

A survey of the infant feeding practices of 270 families who belonged to a prepaid medical insurance program revealed extensive use of commercially prepared infant formulas during the first months of life, introduction of beikost before 3 months of age and introduction of cow milk into the diet at 3 to 5 months. Ethnic, as well as socioeconomic differences, were observed in the use of milks and formulas, timing of introduction of beikost, and method of feeding solid foods. Average calorie intakes approached or were greater than the recommended dietary allowances. With the exceptions of vitamin D and iron, most infants received much greater than the recommended intake of all nutrients examined. Average sodium intakes were well above advisable intakes. Many infants received supplements of vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, and C in addition to adequate dietary intakes. Results of this survey indicate that many mothers look to pediatricians for advice on how to feed their infants and several findings indicate that nutrition education efforts directed toward pediatricians and parents must be more vigorous than they have been in the past.

Snack food consumption of 12 year old inner-city children and its relationship to oral health.

The relations between reported frequency of consumption of 18 common snack foods, SES variables, and oral health scores were studied in 92 12-year-old children from three inner-city schools in Rochester, New York. The group was composed of 44 males and 48 females who were either black or had a Spanish surname. The study documented only a few significant relations between consumption of snack foods and DMF scores or overall oral health. Reported cake consumption correlated positively with total debris and gingivitis, and consumption of chewy candy and ice cream was positively related to DMF scores. Black females exhibited the greatest number of decayed and DMF teeth, and both male and female black children had significantly greater amounts of total debris, gingivitis and decayed teeth.

Snack food intake of adolescents and caries development.

The relationship between the frequency of eating various snack foods, socioeconomic variables, and an increment in caries was studied in 143 adolescents. There were negative correlations between DMFT increments and the frequency of apples, fruit juice, and sugarless gum intake, and a positive association of DMFT increments with chocolate candy intake and spending money.