A study of nutritional status of preschool children in the United States, 1968-1970
Owen, G.M.; Kram, K.M.; Garry, P.J.; Lowe, J.E.; Lubin, A.H.
Pediatrics 53 Suppl: 597-646
1974
ISSN/ISBN: 0031-4005 PMID: 4362899 Document Number: 82819
For preliminary work see NAR 40, 1079; 5561 and Owen et al. (Journal of the Ohio State Medical Association (1969) 65, 809). A representative sample of children aged 1 to 6 years was drawn from the 74 sample points of the Survey Research age and parity, percentage Michigan. Preliminary studies began in 1968 and the actual survey was in 1969-70.Children at risk, those with lower intakes, lower biochemical indices and smaller size for age were mostly in the poorer groups. The main problem was insufficient food; it was not clear what might be gained by better nutrition education or increased fortification, as opposed to expanded food programmes or improved socioeconomic status. There may have been too much emphasis on the importance of protein, and many children with adequate diet were getting vitamin supplements; nutritional quality of diet was not related to income, except perhaps in ascorbic acid intake. Nutrition education should include the whole population, not only the poorest. Racial and genetic factors, as well as socioeconomic status, determined nutritional status.Children were grouped as respondent or non-respondent; boy or girl; white, negro, Spanish-American, American India or Asian; urban or rural; from 4 main census regions or 36 states; by up to 5 socioeconomic groups; taking vitamin or mineral supplements or not; in the federal food programme or not. Interviews covered 3441 children and 2371 were examined, but only 1350 had dental examination, so that dental results are given for white and negro children, not for the other races.For those groups, data given in tables and graphs include average number of children and persons in the family, parents' education, numbers of children studied, effect of supplements on nutrient intake and blood values, intakes of energy and nutrients, percentage distribution of nutrient intakes, income, standard of housing, food habits, caretakers in mother's absence, expenditure on food, recreation, medical history of mother and child, mother's age and parity, percentage distribution of mothers' height and children's birthweight, children's height, bodyweight, head circumference and thoracic skin-fold thickness, number of ossification centres in hand and wrist, composition of plasma and urine, and percentage of children with low intakes. Relations between different factors are studied and results are discussed. So much information from a comparatively small programme caused problems in analysis of data. Variations in data were less than in other surveys that used more technicians and less automatic biochemical analysis.