Fatty acid composition of diets of early school-age children and its health implications

OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study was to determine the amount and type of fat consumed by early school-age children per day. Dietary fat intake as a percentage of the total calorie intake was also estimated. METHODS: The study was conducted in Lublin, the largest city in south-east Poland, between January 2014 and April 2014, on 702 randomly selected children, i.e. 3% of the total population of early school-age children in the research area. The parents were asked to provide information about the type and amount of food consumed by their children daily. A standard food frequency questionnaire was used. RESULTS: Dietary levels of saturated fat were elevated in the analyzed populations and were the source of 13.33% of daily calorie intake. In the studied population, the ratio of saturated to monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids was determined at 3.25: 2.95: 1. Dietary intake of α-linolenic acid (ALA) reached 1.057 ± 0.55 g (0.63% of daily calorie intake) on average, and dietary intake of linoleic acid (LA) was determined at 3.86 ± 2.51 g (2.31% of daily calorie intake). CONCLUSIONS: The average total calorie intake of children aged 6-11 years was 1445.66 calories per day. Average fat intake was 29.64 % of the total calorie intake. The highest intake of SFAs was found in the youngest age group of 6- to 8-year-olds. The type of food consumed by children affected the amount and type of dietary fat in all age groups.