Xie Zhencheng, Yang Wanyi, Ouyang Lishan, Fu Minghan, Luo Hongliang, Li Yitong, Ding Ye, Wang Zhixu
Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China.
Danone Open Science Research Center for Life-Transforming Nutrition, Shanghai 201204, China.
Nutrients. 2025 Aug 15;17(16):2645. doi: 10.3390/nu17162645.
Adequate hydration for preschool children (36-72 months) is critical for their healthy growth, cognitive development, and long-term well-being. However, there is still a lack of reliable baseline data in China to inform water intake guidelines for this age group. In this study, a cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from the 2018-2019 Dietary Survey of Infants and Young Children in China, including 676 healthy preschool children. Water and energy intake were estimated using four-day food diaries. Their daily total water intake (TWI) and total energy intake (TEI) were evaluated, and the contributions of beverages and foods to TWI and TEI were analyzed, respectively. The TWI was compared with the adequate intake (AI) set by the Chinese Nutrition Society, and the correlations between water and energy intake were explored. The results show that the median daily TWI was 1218 mL, with 667 mL (55.7%, r = 0.824) from beverages and 520 mL (44.3%, r = 0.691) from foods. Among beverages, plain water (74.4%, r = 0.903) and milk and milk derivatives (MMDs, 20.9%, r = 0.443) were the main contributors, while staple foods, dishes, and soup contributed the majority of the water from foods. Only 19.4% of children's TWI met the AI level, and their water and energy intake was significantly higher than those who did not. The median daily TEI was 994 kcal, with 739 kcal (77.2%, r = 0.806) from foods and 198 kcal (22.8%, r = 0.644) from beverages. MMDs accounted for 83.1% of beverage energy (r = 0.880). Boys consumed more beverages than girls, especially in the 37-48 months group. As the first nationally representative study of TWI among Chinese preschool children, these findings reveal a substantial gap between actual intake and current recommendations, and highlight the need to revise reference values and improve hydration guidance in early childhood.
为学龄前儿童（36 - 72个月）提供充足的水分对其健康成长、认知发展和长期幸福至关重要。然而，中国仍缺乏可靠的基线数据来为该年龄组的水摄入量指南提供参考。在本研究中，我们使用了2018 - 2019年中国婴幼儿膳食调查的数据进行横断面分析，该调查涵盖了676名健康的学龄前儿童。通过为期四天的食物日记来估算水和能量的摄入量。评估了他们的每日总水摄入量（TWI）和总能量摄入量（TEI），并分别分析了饮料和食物对TWI和TEI的贡献。将TWI与中国营养学会设定的适宜摄入量（AI）进行比较，并探讨水和能量摄入量之间的相关性。结果显示，每日TWI的中位数为1218毫升，其中667毫升（55.7%，r = 0.824）来自饮料，520毫升（44.3%，r = 0.691）来自食物。在饮料中，白开水（74.4%，r = 0.903）和奶类及奶制品（MMDs，20.9%，r = 0.443）是主要贡献者，而主食、菜肴和汤则提供了食物中大部分的水分。只有19.4%的儿童TWI达到了AI水平，并且他们的水和能量摄入量显著高于未达标的儿童。每日TEI的中位数为994千卡，其中739千卡（77.2%，r = 0.806）来自食物，198千卡（22.8%，r = 0.644）来自饮料。MMDs占饮料能量的83.1%（r = 0.880）。男孩比女孩饮用更多的饮料，尤其是在37 - 48个月龄组。作为中国学龄前儿童TWI的第一项全国代表性研究，这些发现揭示了实际摄入量与当前建议之间的巨大差距，并强调需要修订参考值并改善幼儿期的水合指导。
