Nutritional status of 3~5 year old children attending kindergarten and childcare facilities: Using data from the 2010 and 2014 korea national health and nutrition examination surveys

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the nutritional status of 3~5 year old children attending kindergarten and childcare facilities in 2010 and 2014. Methods: Data were obtained from the 2010 and 2014 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES) and included 509 subjects aged 3~5 years old attending kindergarten and childcare facilities. Results: In 2014, rate of skipping meals by children was 16.2%, an increase of 5.5% compared with the rate of skipping meals by children in 2010. Calcium intake in 2014 was 397.41 mg at 3 years old, 419.27 mg at 4 years old, and 414.01 mg at 5 years old. For the mean nutrient adequacy ratio (MAR) of subjects in 2010 and 2014, MAR at 3 years old (0.86) was significantly lower than those at 4 and 5 years old (0.90, 0.91) (p < 0.01). In 2010 and 2014, EAR intake at 3 years old (2.72) was significantly higher than those at 4 years old (2.14) and 5 years olds (1.92) (p < 0.01). Conclusion: As a result, compared with 2010 before establishment of the Children's foodservice management center, there was no improvement in the polarization of nutrient intake of children in 2014. Therefore, researchers believe that a continuous monitoring system developed by nutrition experts and children's foodservice management center are needed to improve the nutritional status of children. Of children between the ages of 3~5 years old, those with intakes under EAR were mostly 3 years old. Therefore, researchers suggest that the infant age group of KDRIs, which is classified as 1~2 years old and 3~5 years old, needs to be reestablished considering the growth and development of infants.