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Title: Eating ready-to-eat cereal for breakfast is positively associated with daily nutrient intake, but not weight, in Mexican-American children and adolescents: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002

Author
item PINEDA VARGAS, SOLANGE - Louisiana State University
item O'NEIL, CAROL - Louisiana State University Agcenter
item KEAST, DEBRA - Food And Nutrition Database Research, Inc
item CHO, SUSAN - Nutrasource
item NICKLAS, THERESA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)

Submitted to: Nutrition Today
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/28/2013
Publication Date: 8/31/2016
Citation: Pineda Vargas, S.S., O'Neil, C.E., Keast, D.R., Cho, S.S., Nicklas, T.A. 2016. Eating ready-to-eat cereal for breakfast is positively associated with daily nutrient intake, but not weight, in Mexican-American children and adolescents: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002. Nutrition Today. doi:10.1097/NT.0b013e3182993988.

Interpretive Summary: Ready-to-eat cereals (RTEC) are commonly consumed as part of the breakfast meal. 92% of RTEC are fortified with essential micronutrients. Thus, eating RTEC has been associated with improved nutrient intake and weight status. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of eating RTEC on nutrient intake and body weight of Mexican-American (MA) children and adolescents. Data on 1,060 children 6-12 years and 1,395 adolescents 13-18 years who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was analyzed. One 24-hour diet recall was used to calculate nutrient intakes and mean adequacy ratio for micronutrients. Weight, body mass index, and waist circumference were evaluated through physical examination procedure. Children who consumed an RTEC breakfast had higher intakes of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, calcium, iron, and zinc than did children who consumed other breakfasts (OB) and breakfast skippers. They also had higher mean adequacy ratio (MAR) and higher intakes of phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium than did breakfast skippers in children. In adolescents, compared with breakfast skippers or OB consumers, RTEC breakfast consumers had a higher MAR and higher intakes of vitamins A, B6, and B12, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. In MA children and adolescents, RTEC breakfast consumption was associated with higher nutrient intake compared with breakfast skippers and OB consumers but not associated with better weight. Nourishing breakfast meals, including those with RTEC, should be encouraged in MA children and adolescents as a way to improve diet.

Technical Abstract: Ready-to-eat cereal (RTEC) has been associated with improved nutrient intake and weight status, but intake has not been studied in Mexican-American (MA) children. The objective of this study was to assess whether nutrient intake, mean adequacy ratio (MAR), and weight were associated with classification of 3 breakfast consumption groups: breakfast skippers, RTEC breakfast consumers, and other breakfast (OB) consumers. Data on MA children (6-12 years; n = 1060) and adolescents (13-18 years; n = 1395) who participated in the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were analyzed. One 24-hour diet recall was used to calculate nutrient intakes and MAR for micronutrients. Weight, body mass index, and waist circumference were evaluated. For statistical analyses, between-group differences in mean covariate-adjusted nutrient intake, unadjusted MAR, and unadjusted weights were examined. Nine percent of children and 28% of adolescents skipped breakfast; 34% and 22% of those age groups consumed RTEC breakfasts, respectively. Children who consumed an RTEC breakfast had higher intakes of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, calcium, iron, and zinc than did children in the OB consumption group and breakfast skippers. Ready-to-eat cereal breakfast consumers also had a higher MAR and higher intakes of phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium than did breakfast skippers but not than OB consumers. Ready-to-eat cereal breakfast consumers had lower intakes of total fat, polyunsaturated fatty acid, and cholesterol than did OB consumers. In adolescents, compared with breakfast skippers or OB consumers, RTEC breakfast consumers had a higher MAR and higher intakes of vitamins A, B6, and B12, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. Carbohydrate intake was higher in RTEC breakfast consumers than in skippers or OB consumers. Children who consumed OB had lower mean body mass index and waist circumference than did those children who skipped breakfast. In MA children and adolescents, RTEC breakfast consumers had improved nutrient intake compared with breakfast skippers and OB consumers, and RTEC should be encouraged as a convenient, low-fat, nutrient-dense breakfast option.