Caffeine Intake In Young Children

Nutrition Research Newsletter, March, 2000

Differences in toddlers' caffeine intake based on socioeconomic status (SES) have not been examined. SES is related to variables such as income, education, and occupation of household heads; stage of family life cycle; family size; and ages of family members. A recently published study compared the relationships between family SES and dietary patterns of 124 children two and three years of age.

SES was determined by the education and occupation of the family's wage earner(s) rather than income. Seventy-five of the children were from families of middle and upper SES, 49 children were from lower SES, and all of the children were white and resided in an urban area. Most children lived in two-parent families. Each mother and child participated in two interviews when the child was two and three years old. The interviews were conducted in the home by a registered dietitian. Mothers provided one 24-hour recall and two days of food records for the child at each interview.

There were no consistent differences in any nutrient intake between groups. Mean intakes for both SES groups met 100% of the RDA or AI level, except for iron, zinc, vitamin E, vitamin D, and folate. Neither the upper nor the lower SES group met the minimum number of servings in all food groups. The fact that nutrient intake was not related to family SES is consistent with findings from previous research. Food assistance programs have contributed to the nutritional health of children and may explain the lack of nutrient differences between SES groups in this study.

Caffeine intake was determined to be significantly higher in the lower SES group. The average daily amounts of caffeine consumed in both groups appeared to be low, however 43% of the children in the upper SES group and 29% of the children in the lower SES group received no caffeine at all, lowering group means substantially. Fifteen percent of the children in the upper SES group and 27% of the children in the lower SES group had more than 20 mg of caffeine per day. The primary contributors of dietary caffeine were cola beverages, tea, and chocolate. An average of 61% of the children in the lower SES consumed carbonated beverages, compared to 43% of the children in the upper SES group. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant. Boys tended to have a higher intake of caffeine than did girls.

Caffeine is a stimulant, and the amount necessary to produce an effect on children is unknown. Dietitians should address the appropriateness of beverages with caffeine in the diets of young children, as these beverages apparently replace nutritious beverages, and caffeine may have undesirable effects on children.

J. Skinner, B. R. Carruth, K. Houck, et al., Caffeine Intake in Young Children Differs by Family Socioeconomic Status, JADA 100 (2): 229-231 (February 2000) [Correspondence: Jean D. Skinner, PhD, RD, Dept. of Nutrition, University of Tennessee, 229 Jessie Harris Bldg., Knoxville, TN 37996-1900.]