Dietary fiber intake of children: the Bogalusa Heart Study

Age and secular trends in dietary fiber intake of children were examined using the 24-hour dietary recall method. Dietary fiber intake of five cohorts of 10-year-olds (n = 1254); two cohorts of 13-year-olds (n = 360); and children ages 10 (n = 767), 13 (n = 249), 15 (n = 108), and 17 (n = 89) years was examined from 1976 to 1988. Total dietary fiber intake remained unchanged from 1976 to 1988, even after adjusting for energy intake; averaging 12 or 5 g/100 calories (kcal). Black children had higher fiber intakes per 1000 kcal than white children from ages 10 to 17 years. Consumption of vegetables and/or soups and breads and/or cereals accounted for 53% (10 years) to 70% (13 years) of the total fiber consumed. When children were stratified into quartiles based on fiber intake per 1000 kcal, the percent of energy from total fat and saturated fat was lower, and the percent of energy from carbohydrates was higher in children with higher fiber intakes per 1000 kcal. Additional studies are needed to document dietary fiber intakes of children and their impact on overall diet composition and cardiovascular risk factors.