OBJECTIVETo examine the trend in meat consumption patterns between 1991 and 2011 in Chinese children in nine provinces(autonomous region) aged 6 to 17 years.

METHODSA multistage, random cluster sampling process was used to investigate 2720, 2702, 2525, 2405, 1509, 1238, 1085, and 936 children and adolescents aged 6-17 years in 1991, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2011 respectively in 9 provinces (autonomous region) in China. Their consecutive 3 d 24 h dietary recall data were analyzed to compare meat intake pattern in children and adolescents with different characteristics and different years.

RESULTSThe consumption rate increased from 60.9% (1657/2720) in 1991 to 87.2% (816/936) in 2011 for livestock meat (χ(2) = 458.23, P < 0.01), from 9.4% (257/2720) to 33.3% (312/936) for poultry (χ(2) = 446.07, P < 0.01) and from 27.3% (743/2720) to 40.6% (380/936) for seafood (χ(2) = 89.89, P < 0.01). The median of total meat intake increased from 47.4 g/d in 1991 to 100.0 g/d in 2011 (χ(2) = 516.77, P < 0.01), poultry intake from 33.3 g/d to 60.0 g/d (χ(2) = 420.13, P < 0.01), pork intake from 26.7 g/d to 50.0 g/d (χ(2) = 380.50, P < 0.01). The percentage of children whose livestock meat and poultry intakes higher than the recommended amount increased from 32.9% (896/2720) in 1991 to 59.8% (560/936) in 2011 (χ(2) = 392.97, P < 0.01); the percentage of children whose seafood intakes meeting the recommended amount increased from 6.9% (187/2720) in 1991 to 8.8% (82/936) in 2011 (χ(2) = 21.52, P < 0.01). The consumption rates of livestock meat in urban and rural children increased from 81.2% (536/660) and 54.4% (1121/2060) in 1991 to 94.7% (234/247) (χ(2) = 38.34, P < 0.01) and 84.5% (582/689) (χ(2) = 429.26, P < 0.01) in 2011. The intakes of livestock meat in rural children increased from 16.7 g/d in 1991 to 56.7 g/d in 2011 (χ(2) = 472.46, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe overall pattern of meat consumption in Chinese children in nine provinces(autonomous region) was unreasonable between 1991 and 2011. There was a significant improvement in meat consumption in rural children over time.