Objective:To investigate the status of blood mineral content of children aged 3 to 12 years in Chinese cities and countryside and explore the possible related influencing factors .Methods: The multistage stratified cluster random sampling was used to select one kindergarten and one primary school in seven cities ( Beijing and Guangzhou and so on ) and two towns randomly .Firstly, we selected one bottom class , middle class , top class in one kindergarten and one second grade and fifth grade in one pri-mary school randomly .Then all of the healthful students of these classes were investigated and the blood mineral content of calcium , magnesium, lead, iron, copper, and zinc were detected.Results:In the re-search, 1 842 students were investigated .The means of calcium, magnesium, lead, iron, copper, and zinc were in the standard range .The blood lead content of the boys was higher than that of the girls .The blood mineral content of different ages had statistical significance .The blood calcium and blood copper contents of the preschool children were higher than those of the school children .However , the school children had significantly higher blood lead , iron, and zinc contents in comparison with those of the pre-school children .The incidences of iron deficiency and zinc deficiency were 35.5%and 39.6%, respec-tively .The incidence of iron deficiency and zinc deficiency of different ages had statistical significance , and with the age increasing , the incidence showed a decreasing trend .The incidences of iron deficiency and zinc deficiency of children whose age was more than or equal to 3 years and less than 4 years were up to 47.1%and 64.6%, respectively.The incidence of iron deficiency of the children in the countryside area was significantly higher than those in the first-tier cities.However, the incidence of zinc deficiency of the children in the countryside area was significantly lower than those in the first-tier cities and second-tier cities.Conclusion:The status of iron deficiency and zinc deficiency of children aged 3 to 12 years in Chinese cities and countryside were still serious .We should pay more attention to the nutrition interven-tional research on iron and zinc .

Objective: To investigate breakfast status and influencing factors among children aged 6-17 in China in 2010-2012. Methods: Data were collected from China National Nutrition and Health Surveillance in 2010-2012. By using multi-stage stratified sampling and population proportional stratified random sampling method, the research objects were 29 393 children, who aged 6 to 17 y from 150 sites in 31 provinces in mainland China. The information of breakfast frequency and the numbers of breakfast dinning out (in restaurant and at schools) in the past week with seven days were collected by questionnaire; and compared by different ages, genders and areas. Results: During the past week, 91.1% (26 776/29 393) of the children aged 6 to 17 y had their breakfast daily, and 94.6% (13 457/14 221) of children aged 6 to 11 y was higher than 87.8% (13 319/15 172) of children aged 12 to 17 y, the highest proportion of the children never eat breakfast (0 time in the past week) found in poor rural areas was 3.6% (189/5 261), the ratio of big cities, small-medium cities and normal rural areas was 1.1% (77/7 104), 0.6% (51/8 361), and 0.6% (54/8 667), respectively (P<0.001). The rate of boys and girls ate their breakfast daily in the past week were 91.3% (13 481/14 761), and 90.9% (13 295/14 632), respectively (P>0.05). Totally 42.2% (12 398/29 393) of children ate breakfast outside-home (the restaurant and the school) in the past week, the percentage of children aged 12 to 17 y and poor rural areas was higher, 50.9% (7 722/15 172), and 52.4% (2 756/5 261), respectively (P<0.001). 42.1% (6 208/14 761) boys and 42.3% (6 190/14 632) girls ate their breakfast outside-home (P>0.05). The place of most school-age children eat outside-home was school, the ratio was 32.2% (9 477/29 393). Conclusion It was common for school-aged children in China to skip breakfast during their daily lives, especially in poor rural areas and older children, lots of school-aged children ate breakfast outside-home, and most of them ate breakfast in school.

Abstract The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in China is increasing during recent years, which could be influenced by multiple factors such as genetics, diet and lifestyle. To understand the relationship between meal timing, frequency with childhood overweight and obesity, the paper reviews recent studies on the relationship between meal or snack timing, frequency with overweight and obesity among children and adolescents, so as to provide scientific evidence for obesity prevention and control.

Abstract The rate of overweight and obesity in Chinese children and adolescents is gradually increasing, and it has multiple hazards for their health. Overweight and obesity are affected by many factors such as genetics and environment. The home food environment is very important among the many factors affecting children s overweight and obesity. This paper analyzes the relationship between parents feeding behaviors, including pressure eating, restricted eating and food as reward, accessibility and usability of family food, with overweight and obesity of children and adolescents, aiming to provide a scientific reference for controlling children overweight and obesity by focusing on home food environment.

Objective: To analyze the association of eating dining locations and their association with nutritional status among Chinese children aged 6-17 years,so as to provide reference for guiding children s reasonable diet. Methods: Stratified random cluster sampling was used to select children aged 6 to 17 years from 28 cities and rural areas of 14 provinces in East, North, Central, South, Southwest, Northwest, Northeast of China, and a total of 52 535 children were included in the study from 2019 to 2021. Information including dining locations, demographic characteristics, dietary intakes and physical activity were collected through a questionnaire survey. Fasting body height and weight were measured in the morning. Unordered multiclass Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between dining locations and nutritional status in children. Results: Regarding children s dining locations, 66.3% ate breakfast at home,25.8% ate breakfast at school,7.9% ate breakfast outside (small dining tables, restaurants, stalls, etc.); 67.7% ate dinner at home,29.0% ate dinner at school,3.3% ate dinner outside; and 63.6% ate lunch at school,30.8% ate lunch at home,5.7% ate lunch outside. The prevalence rates of overweight/obesity and undernutrition were 28.6% and 9.3%, respectively. The adjusted multiclass Logistic regression analysis (controlling for age, region, parental education, household income, total energy intake, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity) demonstrated that, compared to eating at home, school based breakfast and dinner consumption was associated with significantly lower overweight/obesity risks for both genders (boys: breakfast OR =0.70, 95% CI =0.65-0.75; dinner OR =0.80, 95% CI = 0.74- 0.86; girls: breakfast OR = 0.89 , 95% CI = 0.82-0.96; dinner OR =0.88, 95% CI =0.81-0.95), whereas eating lunch away from home significantly increased overweight/obesity risks (boys: OR =1.32, 95% CI =1.17-1.48; girls: OR =1.43, 95% CI =1.26- 1.62 ), with all associations being statistically significant ( P <0.05). After adjusting for confounding factors, boys who ate breakfast away from home showed a significantly reduced risk of undernutrition ( OR =0.80,95% CI =0.66-0.97), while those consuming lunch away from home had an increased risk ( OR =1.26, 95% CI =1.01-1.57) ( P <0.05). Conclusions The choice of dining locations for children is becoming more diverse, and a relatively high proportion of children eat meals outside the home and at school. Eating out have a higher risk of malnutrition for children. School feeding may be beneficial to children s physical health.

Objective: To understand the prevalence of elevated blood pressure and its association with dietary patterns in children and adolescents in China, providing evidence for developing dietary intervention of hypertension in children and adolescents. Methods: Data were derived from the China Children s Nutrition and Health System Survey and Application Project(2019-2021). A stratified cluster random sampling method was used to include 7 933 participants from 28 survey sites in seven major regions of Northeast, North, Northwest, East, Central, South and Southwest China. Multivariate Logistic regression models were used to analyze associations between demographic characteristics, nutritional status and elevated blood pressure. Exploratory factor analysis identified dietary patterns, which were divided into three quartile groups (T3, T2, T1) based on factor scores (compliance for dietary pattern) from high to low, and multivariate Logistic regression model assessed the correlation between elevated blood pressure and dietary patterns. Results: The prevalence of elevated blood pressure was 15.4% among Chinese children aged 7-17 years. Significant differences were observed across nutritional status (reference: underweight; normal weight: OR =1.57; overweight: OR = 2.61 ; obesity: OR =3.85), urban/rural residence (reference: rural; urban: OR =0.86), and paternal education (reference: junior high school and below; bachelor degree or above: OR =0.68) ( P <0.05). The detection rates of high blood pressure in T3 group children and adolescents with four dietary patterns (staple food, animal based food, snacks, vegetables and fruits) were 15.7%, 14.6%, 16.8%, and 15.8%, respectively. After adjusting for residence, paternal education, and nutritional status, the "snack dietary pattern" (mainly candy, sugar sweetened beverages, and processed snacks) showed positive associations with elevated blood pressure in T2 ( OR =1.21) and T3 ( OR =1.19) tertiles ( P <0.05). Conclusions The snack dietary pattern is a related factor for elevated blood pressure in children and adolescents. Restricting unhealthy snack intake may promote cardiovascular health.

Objective: To analyze the status of parents sharing meal expenses in the national pilot areas of the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students (NIPRCES) and its influencing factors, so as to provide scientific data for promoting the proper implementation of the NIPRCES and the healthy development of students. Methods: In the 726 national pilot counties in 22 provinces where the NIPRCES was implemented, 8 109 primary and junior high schools were selected as the survey objects and included in the analysis according to the three feeding methods of canteen feeding, enterprise feeding and mixed feeding. Data such as the basic information of the schools and counties, and the status of parents sharing meal expenses were collected through questionnaires. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors of parents sharing meal expenses. Results: In the national pilot areas of the NIPRCES, schools where parents shared meal costs accounted for 30.2% of all monitored schools in 2019. In central and western areas, the proportion of schools where parents shared meal costs were 51.5% and 20.3%, respectively. In schools where parents shared meal costs, no matter in primary school or junior high school, the difference in the amount of meal expenses shared by parents of students in middle and western schools was statistically significant ( χ 2= 181.78 , 89.54, P <0.01). Among 38.7% of the parents of primary school students in the central region shared meal expenses of ≥2 yuan, and 47.5% of the parents of primary school students in the western region. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the parents of schools in the central region, junior high schools or nine year system schools, canteen feeding or other feeding, large school size, the nutritious meal subsidy used for lunch, middle and high family income level, medium and low input level of the monitoring counties, monitoring counties with other nutrition public welfare projects and insufficient working funds share a higher proportion of meal expenses ( OR=3.22, 1.51, 1.36, 1.74, 3.74, 1.38, 11.58, 2.40, 3.15, 1.50, 2.12, 3.36, 1.34, P < 0.05). Conclusion The proportion of meals shared by parents of school students in the NIPRCES implementation area was relatively low, which may be affected by factors such as economic level, feeding mode, school scale, etc.

Objective: To analyze the usage and influencing factors of quantified recipes in schools in the pilot areas of the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students (NIPRCES), and to provide references for student meal quality improvement. Methods: In 726 national pilot counties in 22 provinces where the NIPRCES was implemented, a total of 7 808 schools were included in the analysis as the survey objects in 2019. Data, including the usage of quantified recipes in schools and related factors, were collected through questionnaires. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of the schools use of quantified recipes. Results: Among the national pilot counties where the NIPRCES was implemented, 66.6 % of the monitored schools used quantified recipes, of which 69.7% of schools in the central region used quantified recipes, it was higher than that in the west region(65.2%) ( χ 2=15.13, P <0.01). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that factors such as the schools in the central region, county based schools, the training frequency of canteen with 1-2 times per semester or once or more per month, regular training of nutrition knowledge, recipes provided by other departments, consideration of nutrition matching when formulating recipes, using catering software, providing local dietary allowances were positively correlated with the use of quantified recipes in schools( OR=1.31,0.72,1.44,1.73,1.75,3.20,2.15,2.72,1.17,P <0.05). Conclusion The proportion of using quantified recipes of schools in the NIPRCES area was relatively low, which might be affected by factors including the regional economic level, canteen training, and recipes sources. It is recommended to strengthen the construction of professional teams and canteen training. Schools need to be encouraged to use quantified recipes and promote school catering scientifically to improve healthy growth of students.

Objective: To analyze the height changes among children who had received subsidies of the National Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students (NNIPRCES) by comparing data from the year of 2012 and 2017. Methods: Among 699 counties where NNIPRCES was implemented, at least 10% of elementary schools and primary middle schools with different food supply modes (school canteen meals, company meals, and mix meals) in the county were selected randomly. Forty students from one or two classes from each grade (grade 1 to grade 9) were randomly selected, to ensure equal proportion of boys and girls in each grade were surveyed, data on height from 1 655 793 students measured in 2012 were compared with 1 419 281 students measured in 2017. Height was measured by metal height pole within 0.1 cm accuracy. Results: From 2012 to 2017, the average increase of height in boys and girls aged 6-15 years was 1.9 and 2.0 cm, respectively. Among them, maximum increment was found in boys at the age of 13 years and in girls at the age of 12 years, respectively, which was 3.0 and 2.8 cm. The average increase in boys from the central and western region was 2.1 and 2.2 cm, respectively, while increase in girls from the central and western region was both 2.2 cm. Compared with the results from 2012, height of boys with the 5th, 50th and 95th height percentiles in 2012 increased by 1.7, 2.0 and 2.1 cm, respectively in 2017, while the increase in girls was 2.1, 2.0 and 2.2 cm, respectively. The average increment of western students with the 5th and 95th height percentiles was higher than those of students from the central region. Conclusion The average height of students has increased after the implementation of NNIPRCES. However, the development was unbalanced between the central and western region, which requires more targeted intervening strategies to improve the nutritional status of students.

Objective: To explore the prevalence of anemia and related factors among left-behind children in poverty-stricken rural areas in China, to provide basic information for anemia prevention and treatment for children. Methods: Data from the National Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students in 2016 were used to express the prevalence of anemia among left-behind children. By using the multistage stratified random cluster sampling method, left-behind children of the 6-17-years-old in poverty-stricken rural areas were recruited in this study. Blood hemoglobin concentration of these students was determined by cyanmethemoglobin method. Anemia was judged by the WHO recommended standard and combined with the sea level elevation correction standard. Frequencies of food intake were collected through questionnaires. Data was then available for analysis including the level of hemoglobin and anemia rates. Relationship between anemia and food intakes as well as other influential factors was also analyzed. Results: The overall anemia prevalence (AP) was 11.6% among the participants. Rates of AP among the 6-, 7-, 15- and 16-17-years-old were 21.1%, 18.0%, 20.6% and 17.3%, respectively. Rates of AP among left-behind girls of 10-11-years-old and the 13-15-years-old were significantly higher than those in boys at the same age (P<0.01) group. Factors including: being girls (OR=1.34, 95%CI: 1.23-1.45), at grade 7 to 9 (OR=1.47, 95%CI:1.30-1.67) and mother being migrant worker (OR=1.32, 95%CI:1.16- 1.50) had higher proportions of getting anemia. Factors as living in the western area (OR=0.85, 95%CI: 0.78-0.93), taking breakfast every day (OR=0.70, 95%CI: 0.64-0.76), having meat more than twice per week (OR=0.84, 95%CI: 0.75-0.93) and having two kinds of vegetables per day (OR=0.85, 95%CI: 0.75-0.96) appeared protective. Conclusions Prevalence of anemia in left-behind children from the poverty-stricken rural areas was high, including junior middle school students from grade 7 to 9 at the early stage of youth development, girls and children with mothers as migrant workers. Anemia should be reduced by promoting the protective factors as having breakfast, increasing intakes of meat and fresh vegetables.