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Topical Area: Community and Public Health Nutrition

Community and Public Health Nutrition (Poster Session)

(P24-062-23) Sodium Intake in US Children Ages 2–19 Greatly Exceeds Adequate Intake With Fast-Food Being a Contributing Factor

Monday, July 24, 2023
12:45 PM – 1:45 PM ET
Location: Poster Board 473
Disclosure(s):
Kennedy M. Kerins, BS: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Lisa T. Jansen, PhD: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Wei Li, PhD: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.


Objectives: To compare dietary intake of sodium reported in children ages 2-19 years to the Adequate Intake (AI) established by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. We hypothesized a positive correlation between fast-food consumption frequency and sodium intake in this study population.

Methods: Dietary recall data from the 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) was analyzed. Participants ages 2-19 (n = 2,383) were divided into groups by age: 2-3, 4-8, 9-13, and 14-19. Reported dietary sodium intake was compared to AIs in individual age groups using one-sample Wilcoxon signed rank tests. A one-way ANOVA test compared reported sodium intake values for all children 2-19 years of age, grouped by fast-food consumption frequency .

Results: Median sodium intake in children ages 2-19 in the 2017-2018 NHANES sample greatly exceeded Adequate Intake guidelines by more than double the AI: 2-3 years 1880 mg vs. 800 mg; 4-8 years 2424 mg vs. 1000 mg; 9-13 years 2827 mg vs. 1200 mg; 14-19 years 3055 mg vs. 1500 mg (p < .001 for all age groups). Children ages 4-19 even exceeded the Dietary Guidelines for Americans limit of 2,300 mg for adults. Sodium intake showed an upward trend with increase in fast-food consumption frequency. Children consuming 4 or more fast-food items per day had significantly higher sodium intake than those consuming only one.

Conclusions: Results of the study indicated that children ages 2-19 are greatly exceeding AI guidelines. Frequency of fast-food consumption appears to be a contributing factor. Continuing this pattern of behavior into adulthood could increase risk for hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Prevention efforts should focus on educating parents on high sodium sources versus lower sodium options.

Funding Sources: Supported by Department of Dietetics and Nutrition at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences