Frequency distributions of mean daily intakes of food energy and selected nutrients obtained during nutrition surveys of Merent groups of people in Great Britain between 1968 and 1971

Abstract

1. Nutrition surveys were made in Great Britain between 1968 and 1971 of 1321 pre-schoolchildren aged 6 months to 4.5 years, 321 primary schoolchildren (10–11 years), 178 secondary schoolchildren (14–15 years), 792 secondary schoolchildren (14–15 years), 435 women in the second trimester of pregnancy, 443 elderly people (65–74 years), 384 elderly people (75 years and over).2. The studies included a 7 d weighed dietary record and all subjects except some of the pre-schoolchildren were medically assessed for evidence of malnutrition. Among the children there were no clinical signs of undernutrition, 4% of the boys and 7% of the girls were described as obese. In the survey of elderly people 3% were malnourished but in each case malnutrition was associated with clinical disease.3. Percentage frequency distribution curves of mean daily intakes (averaged for 7 d) were obtained for total food energy, total protein, animal protein, fat, carbohydrate, calcium, iron, retinol, thiamin, riboflavin, nicotinic acid, pyridoxine, vitamin C and vitamin D.4. Comparison of the distribution of food energy intakes with 1969 recommendations (Department of Health and Social Security, 1969) showed that the mean of the distribution was less than the 1969 recommendation for energy. From the age of 12 months, results indicated that males had larger intakes of food energy than females.5. Comparison of the distributions for protein, Ca, Fe, retinol, thiamin, riboflavin and vitamin C with the recommendations for these nutrients revealed that appreciable numbers of people had intakes less than the recommendations without signs of malnutrition.