Present Status of Dietary Habits in Three to Fifteen Years Old Japanese Children

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to clarify the dietary habits of children,4212 children, aged three to fifteen year, who visited 29 university dental hospitals all over Japan and who were investigated by means of a questionnaire during June and July of 1996.
A portion of the results were as follows.
1) Children three to five years old had breakfast everyday, but 15% of the childrenthirteen to fifteen years old sometimes did not.
2) 30-50% of the children watched T. V. program while they were eating breakfast.
3) 70-80% of the children three to five years old and up 90% of the children thirteen to fifteen years old finished breakfast within 20 minutes.
4) About 40% of the children three to five years old had dinner between 5: 00-6: 00p. m. and about 60% had dinner between 7: 00-8: 00 p. m.3% of the children thirteen to fifteen years old had dinner after 9: 00p. m. and 12% of them had dinner at irregular times.
5) Children three to twelve years old had dinner with their family, but 30% of the children thirteen to fifteen years old sometimes did not.
6) About 55% of the children three to five years old talked with family while they were eating dinner and about 45% watched T. V. program while eating. About 35% of the children thirteen to fifteen years old talked with family and about 60% of them watched T. V. programs.
7) 45% of the children three to twelve years old finished dinner in 30-40 minutes and 30-35% finished dinner in 20-30 minutes.35% of the children thirteen to fifteen years old finished dinner in 30-40 minutes and 37% finished dinner in 20-30 minutes.