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Nutrition

Introduction

Children are nutritionally vulnerable and their nutrient and energy requirements per kilo of bodyweight are greater than adults. Also, there is a relationship between nutrition in childhood and the development of diseases in adulthood. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents in Australia,[1] current dietary recommendations include:

  • fruit: 1 serve a day for children aged 4-11 years, and 3 serves for children aged 12-18 years, depending on their overall diet;
  • vegetables: 2 serves a day for children aged 4-7 years, and 3 serves for children aged 8 years and over, depending on their overall diet;
  • dairy (including milk, yoghurt and cheese): 2 serves a day for children aged 4-11 years, and 3 serves for children aged 12-18 years, depending on their overall diet;
  • lean meat, fish, poultry, nuts, and legumes: 1/2 to 1 serve a day for children aged 4-7 years, and 1 serve for children aged 8-18 years, depending on their overall diet;
  • consistent and sufficient food for an active and healthy life.
The Guidelines also recommend that:
  • consumption of fruit juice in children aged 1-6 years should be limited to about 150 millilitres a day; consumption in children aged 7-18 years should be limited to 240-360 millilitres a day; also, children should be encouraged to eat who le fruits to meet their recommended daily fruit intake;
  • while reduced-fat milks are not suitable for children aged less than 2 years, as milk is a major energy source in these children, who are in a period of rapid growth, reduced-fat milks are recommended for older children and adolescents wh en the diet has diversified;
  • the diet should be low in sugar, salt and fat; therefore, limiting soft drinks or cordials, takeaway foods, fried potatoes products, potato crisps and salty snacks, processed meat products, confectionary, and sweet and savoury biscuits, c akes, donuts, or muesli bars, is encouraged.
The Guidelines list strategies to encourage good eating habits and monitor food consumption, including:
  • establishing routines where the child and caregiver sit down together and talk during meal times and snacks;
  • establishing habits, such as milk with a meal and water at bedtime, which will help ensure variety and nutritional adequacy;
  • keeping in the fridge, or on the kitchen bench, a snack-box containing healthy snack foods such as pieces of fruit, vegetables, cheese and small sandwiches, which the child can either use independently or have offered to them;
  • introducing the practice of having the child at the table for meal times as soon as he or she is able to sit up and grasp foods;
  • not giving the child too large a serving;
  • providing foods the child likes, plus a new food to try;
  • being accepting if the child does not like particular foods, as likes and dislikes change over time.
Where the Guidelines do not provide a rationale for monitoring a particular indicator, the survey follows the recommendations in Monitoring food habits in the Australian population using short questions from the National Food and Nutrition Monitorin g and Surveillance Project.[2]

According to the Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand,[3] current recommendations for fluid consumption (including plain water, milk, and other drinks) by life stage and gender are:

  • boys and girls aged 1-3 years, 1.0 litre a day (about 4 cups); boys and girls aged 4-8 years, 1.2 litres a day (about 5 cups); boys aged 9-13 years, 1.6 litres a day (about 6 cups); boys aged 14-18 years, 1.9 litres a day (about 7-8 cups) ; girls aged 9-13 years, 1.4 litres a day (about 5-6 cups); girls aged 14-18 years, 1.6 litres a day (about 6 cups).
Following the NSW Childhood Obesity Summit in 2002, the NSW Government launched Fresh Tastes @ School, a healthy canteen strategy that defines, through a set of nutrient criteria, foods and drinks that should be sold on no more than 2 occasions per school term.[4]

Results

Graphs for these indicators show consumption of fruit, vegetables, milk, dairy, lower fat or skim milk, and food insecurity for children aged 2-15 years by age group, sex, socioeconomic disadvantage, geographical location, and year. Results for these in dicators include:
  • Fruit consumption: 72.6 per cent of children consumed the recommended daily fruit intake (96.4 per cent 2-8 years; 50.7 per cent 9-15 years; 70.7 per cent male; 74.6 per cent female; 73.7 per cent metropolitan; 70.2 per c ent rural-regional). There has been a significant increase in the proportion of children aged 5-12 years consuming the recommended daily fruit intake between 2001 and 2009-2010 (70.0 per cent to 72.6 per cent).
  • Vegetable consumption: 43.1 per cent of children consumed the recommended daily vegetable intake (51.9 per cent 2-8 years; 35.0 per cent 9-15 years; 43.3 per cent male; 42.8 per cent female; 40.4 per cent metropolitan; 48 .7 per cent rural-regional). There has been a significant increase in the proportion of children aged 2-15 years who consumed the recommended daily vegetable intake between 2001 and 2009-2010 (13.0 per cent to 43.1 per cent).
  • Milk consumption: 49.2 per cent of children consumed 2 or more cups of milk a day (51.6 per cent 2-8 years; 47.0 per cent 9-15 years; 53.4 per cent male; 44.6 per cent female; 48.7 per cent metropolitan; 50.2 per cent rur al-regional). There has been a significant decrease in the proportion of children aged 2-15 years who consumed 2 or more cups of milk a day between 2001 and 2009-2010 (58.2 per cent to 49.2 per cent).
  • Dairy consumption: 67.6 per cent of children consumed the recommended daily dairy intake (82.2 per cent 2-8 years; 54.2 per cent 9-15 years; 70.7 per cent male; 64.4 per cent female; 66.5 per cent metropolitan; 70.1 per c ent rural-regional). There has been a significant increase in the proportion of children aged 2-15 years who consumed the recommended daily dairy intake between 2001 and 2009-2010 (53.0 per cent to 67.6 per cent).
  • Lower fat or skim milk consumption: 25.0 per cent of children usually consumed lower fat or skim milk (20.8 per cent 2-8 years; 28.8 per cent 9-15 years; 22.7 per cent male; 27.4 per cent female; 24.7 per cent metropolita n; 25.5 per cent rural-regional). There has been no significant change in the proportion of children aged 2-15 years who usually consumed lower fat or skim milk between 2007-2008 and 2009-2010.
  • Food insecurity: 5.9 per cent of parents or carers experienced food insecurity in the last 12 months (4.7 per cent 2-8 years; 7.3 per cent 9-15 years; 5.9 per cent metropolitan; 5.7 per cent rural-regional). There has bee n no significant change in the proportion of parents or carers who experienced food insecurity in the last 12 months between 2001 and 2009-2010. Family coping methods for food insecurity included: cut down on the variety of foods family eats (44.2 per cent ), seeking help from relatives (26.2 per cent), parent or carer skips meals or eats less (18.2 per cent), seek help from welfare agencies (14.5 per cent), seek help from friends (9.1 per cent), child skips meals or eats less (2.0 per cent), and seek help f rom government or social security (1.7 per cent).
Graphs for these indicators show consumption of red meat, water, fruit juice, and foods high in sugar, salt and fat (including soft drinks or cordials, takeaway foods, fried potatoes products, potato crisps and salty snacks, and processed meat products, confectionary, and sweet and savoury biscuits, cakes, donuts, or muesli bars), for children aged 2-15 years by age group. Results for these indicators include:
  • Red meat: 5.3 per cent of children consumed red meat (such as beef, lamb, liver or kidney but not pork or ham) less than once a week, 1.9 per cent once a week, 8.4 per cent twice a week, 21.4 per cent 3 times a week, 29.7 per cent 4 times a week, 18.1 per cent 5 times a week, 6.8 per cent 6 times a week, and 8.5 per cent 7 or more times a week.
  • Water: 1.6 per cent of children consumed no cups of water a day, 0.9 per cent consumed less than 1 cup a day, 6.5 per cent 1 cup a day, 16.8 per cent 2 cups a day, 18.8 per cent 3 cups a day, 22.5 per cent 4 cups a day, 1 2.0 per cent 5 cups a day, and 21.0 per cent 6 or more cups a day.
  • Fruit juice: 26.8 per cent of children consumed no cups of juice a day, 20.8 per cent less than 1 cup a day, 33.7 per cent 1 cup a day, 11.8 per cent 2 cups a day, 4.2 per cent 3 cups a day, and 2.6 per cent more than 3 c ups a day.
  • Soft drink, cordial, or sports drink: 46.0 per cent of children did not consume soft drink or cordial or sports drinks, 9.4 per cent 1 cup a week, 7.8 per cent 2 cups a week, 8.0 per cent 3-5 cups a week, 15.3 per cent 6- 10 cups a week, and 13.5 per cent 11 or more cups a week.
  • Takeaway food: 21.1 per cent of children not consume takeaway foods, 45.2 per cent less than once a week, 27.2 per cent once a week, 6.4 per cent more than once a week but less than daily, and 0.1 per cent daily or more.
  • Hot fried potato products: 14.9 per cent of children did not consume hot fried potato products, 30.6 per cent less than once a week, 33.2 per cent once a week, 13.4 per cent twice a week, 5.1 per cent 3 times a week, 1.1 per cent 4 times a week, 0.4 per cent 5 times a week, and 1.2 per cent more than 5 times a week.
  • Potato crisps or salty snacks: 20.9 per cent of children did not consume potato crisps or salty snacks, 18.9 per cent consumed them once a week, 19.4 per cent once a week, 12.1 per cent twice a week, 8.9 per cent 3 times a week, 3.5 per cent 4 times a week, 2.4 per cent 5 times a week, and 13.9 per cent more than 5 times a week.
  • Processed meat products: 13.7 per cent of children did not consume processed meat products, 10.5 per cent consumed them less than once a week, 22.4 per cent once a week, 21.4 per cent twice a week, 13.5 per cent 3 times a week, 5.2 per cent 4 times a week, 2.5 per cent 5 times a week, and 10.8 per cent more than 5 times a week.
  • Confectionary: 13.8 per cent of children did not consume confectionary including chocolate, confectionary bars, and lollies, 10.8 per cent consumed them less than once a week, 23.3 per cent once a week, 18.7 per cent twic e a week, 12.0 per cent 3 times a week, 4.5 per cent 4 times a week, 1.6 per cent 5 times a week, and 15.3 per cent more than 5 times a week.
  • Sweet and savoury biscuits, cakes, donuts, or muesli bars: 10.9 per cent of children did not consume sweet and savoury biscuits, cakes, donuts, or muesli bars, 5.2 per cent consumed them less than once a week, 11.2 per ce nt once a week, 13.9 per cent twice a week, 13.4 per cent 3 times a week, 4.8 per cent 4 times a week, 3.0 per cent 5-6 times a week, 34.0 per cent daily, and 3.6 per cent more than daily.
Graphs for these indicators show indicators that encourage good eating habits in children aged 2-15 years by age group. Results for these indicators include:
  • Eating together at table: 12.6 per cent of families at table every day, 28.1 per cent almost every day (5-6 times a week), 38.7 per cent less than daily (2-4 times a week), and 20.5 per cent hardly ever (0-1 times a week)
  • Eating in front of the television: 61.7 per cent of children hardly ever ate in front of the television (0-1 times a week), 18.2 per cent less than daily (2-4 times a week), 3.9 per cent almost every day (5-6 times a week ), and 16.2 per cent every day.
  • Eating breakfast: 90.4 per cent of children ate breakfast every day, 4.4 per cent almost every day (5-6 times a week), 3.6 per cent less than daily (2-4 times a week), and 1.7 per cent hardly ever (0-1 times a week).
  • Offered water with meals or snacks: 77.0 per cent of parents or carers usually offered child water to drink with meals or snacks, 10.3 per cent sometimes offered water, and 12.7 per cent rarely or never offered water.
  • Offered sweets as a reward: 61.3 per cent of parents or carers rarely or never offered child sweets such as lollies, ice cream, cake, or biscuits as a reward for good behaviour, 31.4 per cent offered them sometimes, and 7 .3 per cent usually offered them.
  • Knowledge of Fresh Tastes @ School Strategy: 64.8 per cent of parents or carers had ever heard of the healthy school canteen strategy Fresh Tastes @ School (61.6 per cent metropolitan; 71.5 per cent rural-re gional). There has been a significant decrease in the proportion of parents or carers who had ever heard of the healthy school canteen strategy Fresh Tastes @ School between 2005-2006 and 2009-2010 (77.4 per cent to 64.8 per cent).

References

  1. National Health and Medical Research Council. Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents in Australia: Incorporating the Infant Feeding Guidelines for Health Workers Canberra: National Health and Medical Research Council, 2003.
  2. Marks G, Webb K, Rutishauser I, and Riley M for the National Food and Nutrition Monitoring and Surveillance Project. Monitoring food habits in the Australian population using short questions. Canberra: Australian Food and Nutrition Monitoring Un it and Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care, 2001.
  3. Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. Water. Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand. Canberra: National Health and Medical Research Council, 2006.
  4. Nutrition and Physical Activity Branch. NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy Evaluation Report 2005. Sydney: NSW Department of Health, 2006.

Graphs

Source: New South Wales Child Health Survey 2009-2010 (HOIST). NSW Ministry of Health.
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Last updated on: 1 February 2012

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