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Total energy expenditure and energy intake in the pre-school child: a comparison
P S Davies1, W A Coward, J Gregory
1Dunn Nutrition Unit, Cambridge.
Insights
This study compared energy intake and expenditure in healthy children aged 1.5-4.5 years. Results show weighed intake methodology is reliable for assessing children's nutritional status.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Human Physiology
- Dietary Assessment
Background:
- Accurate assessment of energy balance is crucial for understanding child growth and nutritional status.
- Validating dietary assessment methods in young children is essential for public health research.
- Previous studies have shown variability in energy intake and expenditure measurements in pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare energy intake (EI) and energy expenditure (EE) in healthy children aged 1.5-4.5 years.
- To evaluate the accuracy of the weighed dietary record method against the doubly-labeled water technique for EI assessment.
- To establish confidence in the weighed intake methodology for large-scale pediatric nutritional studies.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 81 healthy children aged 1.5-4.5 years participated.
- Energy intake was determined using a 4-day weighed record completed by guardians.
- Total energy expenditure was measured using the doubly-labeled water (DLW) technique.
Main Results:
- Mean energy intake was 4773 kJ/d and mean energy expenditure was 4928 kJ/d.
- The overall mean relative bias between methods was 154 kJ/d.
- Older children (3.5-4.5 years) showed a lower mean relative bias of 37 kJ/d, indicating better agreement.
Conclusions:
- Energy intake and expenditure measurements were closely aligned at the population level.
- The weighed intake methodology demonstrated sufficient accuracy and reliability for assessing energy status in young children.
- This validation supports the use of weighed dietary records in nationwide studies on children's dietary intake and nutritional status.
Abstract:
In a cohort (n 81) of healthy children aged 1.5-4.5 years, measurements of energy intake and energy expenditure were compared. Energy intake was calculated following a 4 d weighed record completed by the mother or guardian of the child. Total energy expenditure was measured using the doubly-labelled water technique. Mean energy intake and expenditure in the cohort were 4773 kJ/d and 4928 kJ/d respectively. The mean relative bias between the techniques was 154 kJ/d. In the older children (3.5-4.5 years) the mean relative bias was only 37 kJ/d. At the population level the measurements of energy intake and energy expenditure were extremely close, and the study has provided sufficient confidence in weighed intake methodology for it to be used in a major nationwide study of dietary intake and nutritional status of children aged 1.5-4.5 years.