Usual Intake of Food Pattern Components by U.S. Adolescents: What We Eat in America, NHANES 2015–2018
Abstract Objectives To estimate the usual, or long-term, adherence to recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), 2015–2020 by U.S. adolescents. Methods The analysis used dietary intake data from What We Eat in America, NHANES, 2015–2018. The sample included 1510 (740 male, 770 female) and 1421 (715 male, 706 female) adolescents age 9–13 yr and 14–18 yr, respectively. USDA's Food Patterns Equivalents Database and the Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies 2015–2016 and 2017–2018 were used to determine the consumption of Food Pattern components, added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium. Usual intake estimates representative of the U.S. population were produced using the National Cancer Institute method and compared to the DGA energy-specific recommendations based on age, sex, and assuming the lowest physical activity level. Results Adolescents age 9–13 yr had significantly (P < 0.001) higher percentages meeting the DGA recommended intake than 14–18 yr for fruit (18% vs 8%) and grains (86% vs 60%). For components to limit, adolescents 9–13 yr had significantly (P < 0.001) lower percentages meeting the DGA recommendation for sodium less than the upper limit (2% vs 13%). When compared by age within sex, females age 9–13 yr had significantly higher percentages meeting the recommended intake than 14–18 yr for dairy (14% vs 4%) and grains (86% vs 55%) and lower percentages meeting the recommendation for sodium less than the upper limit (3% vs 23%). Males age 9–13 yr had significantly higher percentages meeting the recommended intake than age 14–18 yr for fruit (16% vs 4%) and grains (86% vs 65%). Conclusions Although adolescents age 9–13 yr had higher percentages than 14–18 yr meeting select recommended intakes, there was a lower percentage meeting the recommendation for sodium intake. With the exception of intake of grains, less than half of adolescents age 9–13 yr and 14–18 yr met any of the DGA recommendations for intake. These results reinforce the need for age-specific nutrition education. Funding Sources USDA.