Energy intake and expenditure in 1–3-year-old Ugandan children living in a rural environment

Abstract

Twenty rural Ugandan children 1.5 to 3 years old were compared with the children of expatriates who had lived in Uganda for at least 6 months and of about the same age. The children were weighed and their lengths were measured monthly. Energy intake was estimated from the previous day's food intake as recalled by the mother at the clinic by using the energy values of approximate quantities of the local food eaten or by collecting duplicate diets from the subjects for 7 days every 3 months and estimating their energy values. Records of duration of daily activities were kept. In 6 months gain in height and weight in the Ugandan children was similar to that of the English children; the youngest children weighed 20% less. The energy intake of the Ugandan children ranged from 41 to 96 kcal/kg bodyweight day, children who received a milk supplement having intakes above 80 kcal. The mean energy intake estimated by the diet-recall method was slightly higher than that estimated by the food-collection method: 70 as compared with 65 kcal/kg daily. Their mean energy intake was 67 kcal/kg day and those for the youngest and oldest group of expatriate children were 108 and 121 kcal/kg. The Ugandan children engaged in fewer activities. The pattern of activity was similar in each group but different between groups. Walking and sitting occupied the longest times for the English children, sitting and standing for the Ugandan children. It was indicated that the lower energy requirement of the Ugandan children could be due to their lower energy expenditure associated with activity.