HealthLink: Dietary intake and poor diet quality in Canadian school age children
Results from the Children’s Lifestyle and School Performance Study (CLASS) reveal that many school age children did not meet Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating recommendations. CLASS is one of the few comprehensive nutrition surveys of children’s eating habits in Canada. This large study of the inter-relations of health, nutrition, lifestyle and socio-economic factors surveyed 5,200 grade five students from 282 public schools in Nova Scotia, representing 96.9% of schools in that province. The results, published in the May-June 2005 issue of the Canadian Journal of Public Health provide valuable insight into children’s eating habits and areas for improvement.
Almost three quarters (73.3%) of children ate less than the minimum recommended daily servings from the Meat and Alternatives food group. About half fell short of the minimum serving recommendations for Grain Products (54.4%), Vegetables and Fruit (49.9%), and Milk Products (42.3%). The low intakes from the Meat and Alternatives food group were reflected in the finding that 27.6% of students had zinc intakes lower than the Estimated Average Requirement. Intakes of calcium and fibre were also low. Dietary fat and sodium intakes were high. Children reporting frequent consumption of meals in front of the TV and less physical activity had poorer dietary quality as measured by the Diet Quality Index International. Children who had parents with healthy eating habits and higher socio-economic status had better diet quality.
Poor nutrition and insufficient physical activity are the primary factors associated with the increase in the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity. The authors of this study concluded that specific public health policies and prevention initiatives targeting children, their parents and schools may improve diet quality and prevent obesity.
CONSUMER TIP:
Parents can play a key role in emphasizing healthy family meals with all four food groups from Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating and encouraging daily physical activity.
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Canada’s Guide to Healthy Eating and Physical Activity.
Can J Public Health, 2005; 96(3):212-6:
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