Analysis of the diets of 12-year-old children in Cape Town

As very few data are available regarding the nutrient intake of South African children, a dietary survey was conducted among 843 12-year-old children in Cape Town. Trained interviewers used a 24-hour-recall questionnaire developed for this purpose, inserting the quantity and types of foods consumed during different periods of the day on both a weekday and Sunday. The intake of carbohydrate, protein and fat was always greatest for white males and lowest for black males. This difference was emphasized by the high weekday energy intake of white boys (10 577 kJ), in contrast with the low energy intake of the black boys (6 457 kJ). The findings on kilojoule, carbohydrate, protein, fat and fibre content of the diets of these subjects are presented.