Fiber in the diet of US children: results of national surveys.

OBJECTIVE

Because fiber intake among children in the United States is poorly documented, our objectives were to determine intakes and sources of fiber in the diets of children 2 to 18 years of age and to examine the trends.

METHODS

We used the US Department of Agriculture's 1977 to 1978 and 1987 to 1988 Nationwide Food Consumption Surveys for our analysis. Children were classified by age and gender groups, 2 to 5 years, 6 to 11 years, boys 12 to 18 years, and girls 12 to 18 years. The percentages of children meeting the American Health Foundation's fiber recommendations for children were also determined.

RESULTS

Analyses of the US Department of Agriculture's 1977-1978 and 1987-1988 survey data indicate that (1) large percentages (55% to 90%) of children are not meeting minimum fiber intake recommendations established by the American Health Foundation; (2) mean fiber intakes declined between 1977-1978 and 1987-1988; (3) fiber from fruits and vegetables declined during this period; and (4) fiber from grains, especially from ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, increased significantly. The results also show that eating breakfast contributes to meeting daily fiber recommendations.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the importance of fiber in promoting optimum gastrointestinal function in childhood and in treating chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer in adulthood, the trends documented in this article are disturbing and suggest that efforts are needed to encourage the consumption of fiber-rich foods among children.