Association between Frequency of Ready-to-Eat Cereal Consumption, Nutrient Intakes, and Body Mass Index in Fourth- to Sixth-Grade Low-Income Minority Children

• Published in: Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Vol. 113; no. 4; pp. 511 - 519
• Main Authors: Balvin Frantzen, Lana, Treviño, Roberto P., Echon, Roger M., Garcia-Dominic, Oralia, DiMarco, Nancy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.04.2013
• Subjects: administration & dosage; Body Mass Index; breakfast; Cereal consumption; Child; Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena - physiology; Children; Cluster Analysis; Cohort Studies; diabetes; Diet; Diet - statistics & numerical data; diet recall; Edible Grain; Energy Intake; experimental design; Fast Foods; Feeding Behavior; Feeding Behavior - physiology; Female; Food, Fortified; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Humans; Internal Medicine; linear models; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Micronutrients; Micronutrients - administration & dosage; Minority; Minority Groups; Minority Groups - statistics & numerical data; nationalities and ethnic groups; Nutrient intake; nutrients; Nutritional Status; Nutritive Value; physiology; Poverty; ready-to-eat foods; statistical analysis; statistics & numerical data; Texas; Texas; Body mass index; Children; Cereal consumption; Nutrient intake; Minority
• ISSN: 2212-2672
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2013.01.006

The consumption of non-ready-to-eat cereal and ready-to-eat cereal (RTEC) breakfasts have been associated with increased nutrient intakes and lower body mass index (BMI). These relationships have not been examined in low-income minority children. To evaluate, in low-income minority children, whether there is a relationship among the frequency of RTEC consumption and nutrient intakes measured at baseline, and whether there is a relationship between the frequency of RTEC and BMI controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, and energy intake. A longitudinal study design where a cohort was followed for 3 years. Participants were 625 fourth- through sixth-grade, low-income children living in San Antonio, Texas, and enrolled in the control arm of the Bienestar Diabetes Prevention Program's cluster randomized trial. Three multiple-pass 24-hour dietary recalls were collected at the beginning of their fourth-grade year and at the end of their fifth- and sixth-grade years. Children's age, sex, ethnicity, and height and weight (used to calculate BMI) were collected between August 2001 and May 2004. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed. The frequency of breakfast consumption was examined using a 6×4 cross-tabulation table with χ2 test to establish categorical differences. The degree of association between BMI percentile and frequency of RTEC consumption adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, and nutrition-related parameters were calculated using a partial correlation multivariate linear model analysis. There was a significant positive relationship between the frequency of RTEC consumption and nutrient intakes measured at baseline. There was also a significant inverse relationship between frequency of RTEC consumption and BMI percentile over the cumulative 3-year period controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, and energy intake. Children who frequently consumed RTEC had greater intakes of essential nutrients at baseline and significantly lower BMI over a 3-year period.