Crowe Michael, O'Sullivan Michael, Cassetti Oscar, O'Sullivan Aifric
Division of Restorative Dentistry and Periodontology, Dublin Dental University Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, Lincoln Place, Dublin 2, Ireland.
UCD Institute of Food and Health, 2.05 Science Centre, South, UCD, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.
Eur J Nutr. 2020 Aug;59(5):2065-2074. doi: 10.1007/s00394-019-02056-8. Epub 2019 Jul 19.
Dietary free sugars (FS) are the most important risk factor for dental caries and can contribute to excess energy intake. Measuring FS intake is limited by food composition databases and appropriate dietary assessment methods. The aim of this analysis was to estimate total sugar (TS) and FS intakes for Irish pre-schoolers and examine the proportion of dietary TS and FS captured using a short food questionnaire (SFQ).
This is a secondary analysis of 3-year-old children from two national surveys; Growing Up in Ireland (GUI), N = 9793 of whom 49% were girls and the National Preschool Nutrition Survey (NPNS), N = 126 and 52% were girls. GUI used SFQs and NPNS used semi-weighed food diaries to collect dietary data from 3-year-old children. Dietary intake databases were linked using an established approach. Mean daily TS and FS intakes and frequency were calculated, and consumption patterns from foods and meals are presented. The proportion of foods that were covered or non-covered by the GUI SFQ was calculated by comparison with the NPNS food diary.
75% of 3 year-olds had FS intake greater than the maximum recommended by WHO guidelines for free sugar intake, while 4% met the lower threshold. The median frequency of TS and FS consumption was 5.0 (4.0-6.0) and 4.0 (3.0-5.0) times/day. Less than one-quarter of TS intake (g/day) was non-covered by the GUI SFQ while less than one-third of FS intake was non-covered.
A large majority of 3-year-old Irish children do not meet the WHO recommended guidelines for FS intake and almost none meet the desired conditional recommendation. SFQs only capture two-thirds of FS intake at this early age.
膳食游离糖（FS）是龋齿最重要的危险因素，且会导致能量摄入过多。食物成分数据库和合适的膳食评估方法限制了对FS摄入量的测量。本分析的目的是估算爱尔兰学龄前儿童的总糖（TS）和FS摄入量，并使用简短食物问卷（SFQ）研究膳食TS和FS摄入量的捕获比例。
这是对两项全国性调查中3岁儿童的二次分析；爱尔兰成长调查（GUI），N = 9793，其中49%为女孩，以及全国学龄前儿童营养调查（NPNS），N = 126，52%为女孩。GUI使用SFQ，NPNS使用半称重食物日记收集3岁儿童的膳食数据。膳食摄入数据库采用既定方法进行关联。计算每日TS和FS的平均摄入量及频率，并呈现食物和餐食的消费模式。通过与NPNS食物日记比较，计算GUI SFQ涵盖或未涵盖的食物比例。
75%的3岁儿童FS摄入量高于世界卫生组织（WHO）游离糖摄入指南的最大推荐量，而4%达到了较低阈值。TS和FS消费的中位数频率分别为每天5.0（4.0 - 6.0）次和4.0（3.0 - 5.0）次。GUI SFQ未涵盖不到四分之一的TS摄入量（克/天），而FS摄入量未涵盖的比例不到三分之一。
绝大多数3岁爱尔兰儿童未达到WHO推荐的FS摄入量指南，几乎无人达到理想的条件性推荐。在这个年龄段，SFQ仅能捕获三分之二的FS摄入量。
