SOME IMPLICATIONS OF THE DIET OF CHILDREN IN AMERICAN-SAMOA

Both adults and children in American Samoa have been shown to have high rates of obesity and overweight. The nutritional implications of dietary change associated with modernization have been previously described for Adults in American Samoa. The purpose of this paper is to describe and interpret the nutrient intake of American Samoan children. The sample for this study consists of 62 children five to seven years of age. Anthropometric measurements and a 24-hour dietary recall interview provide information about the nutritional status of the children. The Samoan children are large for age, being slightly taller than U.S. children, and substantially heavier In addition, upper arm muscle circumferences are at or above U.S. medians, while skinfolds are near median values for boys, and above medians for girls. By comparison to RDAs, U.S. Black and White samples, and rural and urban Russian boys, the caloric intakes of the Samoan children are low, as are reported intakes of calcium, phosphorus, iron, thiamine, and riboflavin. With the potential exception of iron deficiency, the low reported intakes of most of these nutrients are discounted because of the absence of clinical symptoms of undernutrition. Instead, obesity and over-nutrition are the principal dietary problems requiring intervention among the Samoan children.