Abstract

To assess the dietary fiber intake of preschool children in Busan and to evaluate the relationship between of the intake of dietary fiber and nutrient intake. Nutrient intake using 24 hour recall, and total dietary fiber (TDF) intake based on tables of TDF of common Korean floods developed by the modified Prosky Method, were estimated for 176 preschool children. The mean daily intakes of TDF, and TDF after adjusting energy intake, were 10.20 g and 7.69 g/1,000 kcal, respectively. The mean daily intakes of TDF for children aged 1-3 and 4-6 years were 9.20 g and 11.08 g, respectively. The range of TDF intake was 1.86 to 22.16 g. The major sources of TDF were cereals (31.0%), vegetables (18.9%) and fruits (11.9%). The TDF intake showed positive correlations with nutrient adequacy ratios (NAR) of iron and Vitamin B1, (p<0.05, p<0.05). The TDF intake per 1,000 kcal showed negative correlations with the NARs of protein, calcium, phosphate, iron, Vitamin A, vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, and niacin (p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.05, p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001) and with the mean adequacy ratio (MAR, p<0.001). When children were stratified into quartiles (Q1-Q4) on the basis of their fiber intake per 1,000 kcal, their NARs for calcium, phosphate, iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2 and niacin (p<0.05, p<0.05, p<0.001, p<0.05, p<0.05, p<0.001, p<0.001), and their U? (p<0.001) were significantly lower in the children with higher fiber intake per 1,000 kcal (the upper quartile). The NARs fur calcium (0.63), iron (0.60), Vitamin A (0.66), Vitamin B2 (0.74), niacin (0.64), Vitamin C (0.65) and the MAR (0.74) were lower than 0.75 in the children with fiber intakes of more than 9.25 g per 1,000 local (0,), the highest fiber intake per 1,000 kcal. Based on these results, the mean TDF intake of children was higher than the 'age (yr)+5g', the minimum recommended level for American children. Meals with a fiber intake of more than 9.25 g per 1,000 local (Q4) could cause a decreased nutritional status for minerals and vitamins. The result of this study could contribute to the establishment of Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for dietary fiber for Korean Preschool children.

• Keywords: dietary fiber intake; nutrient intake; NAR; MAR; preschool childres