The nutrition survey EsKiMo II – design, execution and public health policy relevance

Peer-reviewed | Manuscript received: December 01, 2017 | Revision accepted: February 26, 2018

Background

Optimal intake of energy and nutrients is particularly important for children and adolescents as they are still developing [1]. However, our dietary behavior is in a state of constant change. Trends such as “superfoods”, organic foods, and the current vegan trend, as well as the growing range of products available in supermarkets are all factors that can influence our dietary habits [2].

In addition, living conditions have changed in recent years: An increasing proportion of children and adolescents are now being taken care of at daycare facilities [3]. However, the food available in communal contexts, such as schools and daycare facilities, is often the subject of much criticism. For instance, studies on meal quality have shown that only a fifth of daycare centers and only a quarter of schools base their menus on the quality standards of the German Nutrition Society (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung [DGE]) [4, 5].

During childhood taste preferences and dietary habits develop, and it is highly likely that these preferences and habits will continue into adulthood [6, 7]. Overweight during childhood and adolescence which occurs due to poor diet among other factors, often persists into adulthood, bringing with it all of the associated health consequences. Therefore, essential foundations for a healthy lifestyle are already being laid in childhood and adolescence. However, many children and adolescents grow up in an environment that facilitates weight gain, resulting in people becoming overweight [8]. For example, sweets and pastries are often sold in kiosks in schools. “Children’s foods” often contain too much sugar and fat. The food industry tries to influence the purchasing behavior as well as children’s and adolescent’s dietary habits by using colorful advertisements aimed at children or advertising messages directed at parents that emphasize the health benefits of their products [9].

Abstract

Regular nutrition surveys are important for health policy measures. As part of the second wave of the “German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents” (KiGGS Wave 2; 2014–2017), the nutrition study – EsKiMo II – was once again conducted about ten years after the first “Eating Study as a KiGGS Module» (EsKiMo; 2006). In the period from June 2015 to September 2017, nutritional data were collected from 2,644 children and adolescents. Parents of children aged 6 to 11 years were instructed in how to keep a food record for a total of four days; nutrition interviews were conducted with 12- to 17-year-old adolescents using the modified diet history software known as DISHES. The results of EsKiMo II will provide actual data on the nutrition status of children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years living in Germany, and will therefore offer an information basis for policy decisions.

Keywords: children and adolescents, food consumption, intake of nutrients, KiGGS, EsKiMo

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