Food frequency information--relationships to body composition and apparent growth in 4-year-old children in the Pacific Island Family Study.

AIMS: To record at the 4-year measurement point for the Pacific Island Family Study the most frequently eaten foods and to identify associations with growth and body composition.
METHODS: A food frequency questionnaire relating to consumption of 111 foods over a 4 week period was administered to the 739 children, to be completed by a parent. Body composition of the children was measured by anthropometry and body fatness by bioimpedance analysis. Patterns of association between body composition and food frequency were examined using correlation analyses.
RESULTS: The foods most frequently consumed were bread (1.32 times/day) and total milk (1.63), followed by breakfast cereal (0.83), and fruits (0.78-0.83). 77% of respondents consumed white bread only while 85% consumed standard milk and 7% consumed milk less than once a month or never. Recommended frequency of consumption for fruit was attained by 60%, while only 35% achieved the recommended level for vegetables. Traditional Pacific food consumption made up 5% of the dietary pattern. Protein consumption was positively associated with weight and BMI at 4 years, along with weight gain (0 to 4 years), while frequency of fat consumption was negatively correlated with these variables, in addition to body fat %. Dairy consumption showed a positive correlation with body fat % and BMI.
CONCLUSIONS: This diet and body size analysis as part of a longitudinal study provides practical evidence to inform practical dietary advice and food policies. Further research is needed to explore association of growth with food patterns and quality.