The nutritional status and dietary pattern of Chinese adolescents, 1991 and 1993

Abstract

Objective: To increase understanding about current dietary patterns and short-term relationships between economic change and adolescent nutrition in a lower-income country, using the 1991 and 1993 China Health and Nutrition Survey data.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Eight provinces in China that vary substantially in geography, economic development, public resources, and health indicators.

Subjects: 2236 and 2018 adolescents aged 10–18 years who completed three 24-hour recalls in the 1991 and 1993 survey, respectively.

Results: Chinese adolescents experienced an improvement of diet and nutritional status. The prevalence of stunting declined from 23% in 1991 to 19% in 1993. Under-nutrition was a problem of concern although the prevalence (12–13%) was relatively low. Overweight was emerging as a problem associated with young, high-income and urban adolescents, but the prevalence (4%) was quite low compared with developed countries. Chinese adolescents’ energy and protein intakes were adequate compared with the American RDA. About 27% of the participants derived more than 30% of their dietary energy from fat and 16% of them derived over 10% of energy from saturated fat by 1993.

Conclusion: Chinese adolescents have experienced an improvement in diet and nutritional status, but under-nutrition is still an important nutrition problem, especially among young and poor groups. More attention should focus on the increase of dietary fat intake and obesity.

Source of support: Funding comes from the National Institutes of Health (R01 HD30880), the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, and the National Science Foundation (grant #37486).