OBJECTIVES: To assess the nutritional status and dietary intakes of children attending public and private day care centers in Manaus, Brazil. METHODS: The study assessed children aged 24 to 72 months, enrolled at two public (n=217) and two private (n=91) day care centers in Manaus. Nutritional status was classified according to Z scores for weight-for-age, weight-for-height, height-for-age and BMI-for-age. Dietary intakes were measured using the direct food-weighing method for 1 day. A 1-day dietary recall was administered to parents to assess dietary intakes outside the day care centers. The frequencies of children with nutrient intakes above and below the Estimated Average Requirements (EAR) or Adequate Intake (AI) cutoffs were calculated. RESULTS: There proportion of overweight children was higher at the private day care centers, according to both weight-for-height and BMI-for-age indexes. Children from the public day care centers had higher intakes of polyunsaturated fat, trans fat, omega-6, vitamin C and sodium, and lower zinc intake when compared to those at private centers. Elevated energy intake and a high proportion of children with vitamin A, vitamin C, zinc and sodium intakes over the Tolerable Upper Intake Levels were observed at both types of day care center. There was a higher proportion of children with inadequate calcium intake at the public centers (27.6 vs. 7.9%, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Energy and sodium intakes were above recommended levels at both types of day care center. Calcium intakes were below recommended, especially at the public day care centers. Children's diets should be monitored more closely to prevent diseases later in life.
child, preschool; nutritional status; food consumption; child day care centers
