Ann Nutr Metab 2002;46(suppl 1):31–38 DOI: 10.1159/000066398 Determinants of Nutrient Intake among Children and Adolescents: Results from the enKid Study Lluı´s Serra-Majem a, b Lourdes Ribas b Carmen Pérez-Rodrigo c Reina Garcı´a-Closas d Luis Peña-Quintana a Javier Aranceta c a Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; b Community Nutrition Research Center, Science Park of the University of Barcelona; c Community Nutrition Unit, Municipality of Bilbao, and d Department of Preventive Medicine, University of la Laguna, Tenerife, Spain Prof. Lluı ´s Serra-Majem, MD, PhD Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria PO Box 550 E–35080 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain) Tel. +34 928 453476, Fax +34 928 453475, E-Mail lserra@dcc.ulpgc.es ABC Fax + 41 61 306 12 34 E-Mail karger@karger.ch www.karger.com © 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel 0250–6807/02/0467–0031$18.50/0 Accessible online at: www.karger.com/anm Key Words Nutrient adequacy W Risk factors W Children W Adolescent W Nutrition survey W Breakfast W Physical activity W Spain Abstract Background: Although adequacy of nutrient intake has been studied considerably in children and adolescents across Europe, the factors associated with nutritional risk have rarely been addressed. This study was developed in order to explore the nutritional intakes of Spanish chil- dren and the factors influencing the risk of nutrition- al inadequacy. Objectives: To evaluate socio-economic and lifestyle variables associated with nutritional ade- quacy in Spanish children and adolescents. M ethods: A cross-sectional study utilising face-to-face interviews. A random sample of 3,534 individuals aged 2–24 years were interviewed by a team of 43 dieticians in the sub- jects’ homes. Interviews included two 24-hour recalls (a second 24-hour recall in 25% of the sample) and other questions, including lifestyle. Weight and height were measured in all subjects. Under-reporters (18%) were excluded from the present analysis. An unconditional logistic regression analysis was used to identify vari- ables associated with greater nutritional risk. Results: The participation rate was 68%. Twenty percent of males and 50% of females were classified as being at high nutritional risk. Variables associated with increased nu- tritional risk were: age between 14 and 24 years, being female, low social class, low educational level of the mother, having more than one sibling, smoking, watch- ing TV during meals, sedentary habits at leisure time, infrequent meals and a poor quality breakfast. One dietary factor closely associated with nutritional risk was a failure to consume ready-to-eat cereals. Conclusions: Nutritional risk during infancy and adolescence is associ- ated with socio-economic and educational variables of the family, and some lifestyle factors including physical activity and the quality of the breakfast meal. Copyright © 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel Introduction In the majority of European countries, children and adolescents constitute a group at risk for nutritional defi- ciencies. This is due to increased micronutrient needs for growth, as well as changes in eating and lifestyle habits arising from increasing independence from the family. During this time, nutritional requirements are high, yet