(P19-014-23) Beef Intake Is Associated With Nutrient Intake and Nutrient Adequacy in Female Adolescents

Objectives: To compare nutrient intake and nutrient adequacy in beef consumers as compared to beef non-consumers in females (14-18 y).

Methods: Dietary intake data of female older adolescents (14-18 y), who participated in NHANES cycles 2001-2018 were utilized in this study. The first 24-hour What We Eat in America (WWEIA) dietary recall was used to determine beef intake, whereas both 24-hour dietary recalls were used to determine usual intake of beef and nutrients following the National Cancer Institute method. Food Patterns Equivalent Database and Food Patterns Ingredient Database were used to quantify beef content of foods. Nutrient intake came from day 1 and day 2 total nutrient files. Percentage of the population below the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) or above the Adequate Intake (AI) was determined using the cut-point method.

Results: Female adolescents consumed 27.8 ± 1.6 g/d per capita of beef, whereas the intake of beef consumers was 60.3 ± 2.5 g/d. Compared to non-consumers, beef consumers had greater than 10% higher daily intake of iron (13.8 ± 0.25 vs 11.8 ± 0.48 mg), phosphorus (1239 ± 25 vs 1064 ± 41 mg), potassium (2084 ± 36 vs 1868 ± 61 mg), total choline (250 ± 5.27 vs 213 ± 8.16 mg), vitamin B12 (4.59 ± 0.13 vs 3.34 ± 0.17 µg), and zinc (10.2 ± 0.20 vs 7.18 ± 0.31 mg) but also calcium (945 ± 21 vs 786 ± 27 mg), and folate (492 ± 11 vs 429 ± 19 µg DFE). The percentage of the beef consumers < EAR was lower for iron (8.63 ± 0.88 vs 22.63 ± 2.57 %), phosphorus (28.7 ± 2.9 vs 53.4 ± 5.3 %), zinc (11.2 ± 1.9 vs 57.5 ± 4.8 %), vitamin B6 (4.41 ± 1.14 vs 15.3 ± 2.8 %), and vitamin B12 (1.77 ± 0.61 vs 22.2 ± 3.1 %) but also lower for calcium (73.3 ± 2.73 vs 86.7 ± 2.46 %), copper (11.8 ± 1.51 vs 27.8 ± 3.38 %), and folate (DFE; 11.9 ± 2.0 vs 28.6 ± 4.1 %), as compared to non-consumers. Additionally, the portion of the population above the AI for potassium (30.5 ± 2.5 vs 20.5 ± 3.6 %) was higher in beef consumers as compared to non-consumers.

Conclusions: Female adolescent beef consumers had higher nutrient intake as well as better nutrient adequacy for numerous nutrients, including several nutrients of public health interest. Given the increased nutrient requirements of adolescents, a greater focus on eating patterns in this group seems warranted.

Funding Sources: This study was supported by the Beef Checkoff.