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At a Glance

Funder:

Nestlé Nutrition

Project Time Frame:

2008-2009

Press Release

 

Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study 2008

With childhood obesity reaching epidemic proportions, knowing more about infants' and toddlers' eating habits can help parents, health care professionals, and nutritionists address this issue more effectively. We are conducting a study of the feeding patterns of infants and toddlers (2008 Nestlé FITS), a followup to the groundbreaking FITS 2002 study, to obtain updated information on the diets and eating habits of U.S. infants and toddlers 0 to 48 months of age.

The study addressed two key research questions: (1) How have nutrient and food intake patterns of infants and toddlers 4 to 24 months of age changed in the six years since FITS 2002? (2) What are the nutrient and food intake patterns of younger infants (0 to 3 months) and older toddlers and preschoolers (24 to 48 months)?

Mathematica collected data on infants’ and toddlers’ nutrient intakes, food choices and dietary supplement usage, nutrient impact of these choices, feeding practices (including breastfeeding and introduction of solids), infant and toddler growth and developmental milestones, physical activity and screen time, participation in WIC, and height and weight. The survey consisted of a recruitment/household interview, a telephone 24-hour dietary recall, and a second 24-hour recall on a 25 percent random subsample of respondents to estimate distributions of usual nutrient intake. The University of Minnesota's Nutrition Coordinating Center collected the dietary recall data using the Nutrition Data System for Research. The sample included about 4,300 recruitment interviews and about 3,370 dietary recall interviews with parents or caregivers to ensure precision reporting for 12 age groups of infants and toddlers ages 0 to 48 months.

Enhancements to the 2008 study included (1) an updated recruitment/household interview with expanded survey content, including physical activity and screen time, family eating habits, and parent/caregiver's height and weight to address emerging issues in childhood nutrition and obesity, and improved developmental measures; (2) an updated portion-size measurement guide, improved dietary recall protocol, and new child care form to increase reporting accuracy of dietary intake; and (3) a bridging study to assess the impact of methodological changes in dietary data collection between FITS 2002 and FITS 2008. This study ran parallel to the main study and included 240 infants and toddlers ages 4 to 24 months.

Dietary data analysis included:

  • Usual intake of energy, micronutrients, macronutrients, and other dietary components such as fiber, sodium, and potassium compared to the Dietary Reference Intakes
  • Sources of energy and nutrients from foods and supplements
  • Proportion of calories from breast milk, infant formula, cow’s milk, infant juices, infant cereals, baby food, table food, and sweetened beverages
  • Food consumption patterns
  • Meal and snack patterns

Comparisons of food and nutrient intake data for infants and toddlers 4 to 24 months were made for FITS 2002 and FITS 2008. In addition to dietary data, information on other potential correlates of overweight and obesity, such as infant feeding practices, breastfeeding, children’s time spent watching TV and videos, physical activity levels, and mothers’ heights and weights, is available to support more detailed analysis.