Dietary intake and adequacy in Mexican preschool children: National Health and Nutrition Survey 2012

Objective: to estimate energy, nutrient intake and diet adequacy in preschool-aged children based on data from the Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey 2012. Material and methods: dietary data in children < 5 years (n = 1,212) collected through a Semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (SFFQ) were analyzed. Energy and daily nutrient intakes and adequacies were calculated comparing by sociodemographic characteristics. Results: median daily energy intake was 1,252 kcal (adequacy 104%). Adequacies above 100% were observed for calcium, zinc, vitamin C, folate, vitamin B12, vitamin A and median of saturated fat. Low percent adequacies were observed for fiber, iron, polyunsaturated fat and vitamin D. Intakes were lower in the southern region compared to other regions. Most intakes and adequacies were higher in urban compared to rural areas, but fiber had the opposite trend. Indigenous children had low intakes and percent adequacies. Conclusions: risks of dietary deficiencies and excess are present in Mexican preschool-aged children, with marked differences across sociodemographic strata.