| BackgroundChildhood is a crucial period for the development of physiology,psychology, intelligence and also dietary behavior.Snacks are part of daily diets for most children and play an important role in their physical development.Many investigations on snack consumption in children have been done worldwide and some dietary guidelines for snack taking are available.However,in China,we have no such information available,especially those concerning tendency.It is urgent to pay a great attention on this topic and create a suitable guideline on snacks consumption for Chinese children The project of Health and Nutrition Survey in Chinese,jointly conducted by Chinese and American researchers,is a long term study,which provides data for snack consumption and alteration trend in Chinese children.ObjectivesThe goals of the present study are to analyze the data from the Survey of Health and Nutrition status in Chinese population between year 1991 and 2004,find out the features and alteration trend of snacks consumption in population aged from 3 to 17. It will provide useful information for establishing dietary guideline on the snack consumption in Chinese children and adolescents and health education strategy.It will provide a certain suggestion about how to choose correctly and reasonably the snacks for Chinese children and adolescents.MethodsThe study was carried out by using the data from the Survey of Health and Nutrition status in Chinese population aged from 3 to 17 years.Total number of subjects was 13,996,among which,3810,3470,2250,2531,and 1935 subjects were surveyed in year 1991,1993,1997,2000,and 2004 respectively.The crude data was organized using SAS 9.12 software and analyzed using SPSS12.0 software.The parameters included the location,the time frame,the type of snack consumption and the proportion of daily energy and nutrients from snacks.The frequency of snack taking and the variation trend from year 1991 to 2004 were also analyzed.The relationship between snack consumption and BMI was studied.Results1.The variation trend of snack consumption frequency from year 1991 to 2004 The snack consumption frequency was increased from year 1991(15.09%)to 2004(20.36%),particularly it is doubly increased from 9.92%in 2000 to 20.36%in 2004.Basically,there was no significant gender difference in snack consumption frequency,the snack consumption frequency of the girls is slightly higher than that of boys in various years.An upward trend of snack consumption rate of children and adolescents in urban and rural is observed.It rose from 15.0%and 15.10%of 1991 to 29.71%and 17.30%of 2000 respectively.The increase was remarkable in urban population.2.The change trend of time frame and location of snack consumption (1991-2004)The time of snacks consumption was taken place mostly in the afternoon in 1991 and 1997,and in the evening in other years,especially in 2004.two-thirds of the snacks consumption in the evening.Morning snack and afternoon snack generally showed a downward trend,evening snack showed an upward trend,and it has gradually become the main time.The location of snack consumption was not significantly varied from year 1991 to 2004.The children had their snacks mainly at home and other minor frequencies were schools and kindergartens.There was no gender and living area differences.3.The changes of snack types form year 1991 to 2004The data showed that the fruit was the major snacks,which occupied more than half of the total snack.The proportion of grains and vegetables consumption was decreased,but dairy product consumption was increased in snack consumption.The frequency of cake and beverage consumption was also slightly increased.The frequency of consumption of meat,nut and sugar were very low.There was no gender and living area differences.4.The changes of different types of snack consumption quantity form year 1991 to 2004The average diurnal consumption of dairy product increased from 3.02g/d in 1991 to 41.26g/d in 2004,the amount changed obviously.There is an increasing trend in fruit and cakes snacks,but the trend is gentler.The consumption quantity of grain and vegetable snacks is a decreasing trend in overall.There is an ups and downs trend for more than 10 years.Other types of snack foods do not show a clear trend change.5.The changes of snack consumption quantity form year 1991 to 2004The average diurnal total consumption quantity of snack foods in children and adolescents rise slightly in general for more than 10 years.It present the process which drops first rises again in 3～5 age group and rises first drops again in 6～11 age group.It is invariable basically for several years.It present the tendency which rises gradually in 12～17 age group.6.The proportion of snack consumption in the daily dietary intake form year 1991 to 2004The average proportion of snack intake in daily food consumption was 21%.The proportion was declined along the age increasing,The lowest was found in the population aged 12 to 17 years.7.The proportion of the energy and nutrients from snacks in daily dietary intake from 1991 to 2004There was no significant change for the proportion of energy and nutrient supplied by snacks in daily food intakes within the thirteen years.The average energy supply by snacks was about 13%of total daily energy intake.Cellulose from snacks occupied 25%of daily food intakes.The proportion of vitamin C,vitamin E,calcium, and other nutrients from snacks in daily food consumption was followed.The proportion is similar in urban and rural in different years.The proportion of calcium intake from the snack in daily food was higher in urban population.8.The relationship between snack consumption and BMILooked from the value,it increased that the BMI value of those who eat snacks or not eat snacks in different years old young people year by year from 1991 to 2004. It was lower slightly that the BMI value of those who eat snacks than that of not eat snacks in general.The difference of BMI value between the children who eat snacks and not eat snacks disappear with the passage of time.Whether or not snacking,the average BMI value was higher in urban population than the ones in rural area.The highest BMI value was found when the energy from snacks was 0～10%of daily energy intakes.The BMI value has the tendency which reduces gradually with the proportion increased.Conclusions1.The frequency of snack consumption was increasing in children and adolescents from 1991 to 2004.It grew rapidly from 2000 to 2004.The change was more remarkable in urban population.2.For more than 10 years,children and adolescents consumed the snacks mainly at home in the evening.3.The fruits were the major part of snacks.The dairy product consumption growing faster.4.The proportion of snack consumption in daily food intake was about 21%. Certain percentage of energy and nutrients were from snack consumption in children and adolescents.5.Snack food intake with BMI has certain relations.It was suggested that the snack food was consumed should at the right moment and moderate,avoids affecting dinner. Suggesting our country government and nourishment worker consider the characteristics of snacks and the role of snacks in the daily function within meal in sooner.For drawing up the related snack consumption policy for the children and adolescents,carrying on the nourishment knowledge to the residents,guiding residents to consume the right snacks and making the snacks play an active role for human health. |
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