Abstract
Background
Current literature provides conflicting data regarding seasonal variability in dietary
intake.
Objective
Our aim was to examine seasonal variation in dietary intake in healthy adults from
the metropolitan Washington, DC, area.
Design
This study utilized an observational cohort design.
Participants/setting
Male and female healthy volunteers (n=103) between the ages of 18 and 75 years were
recruited from the metropolitan Washington, DC, area to participate in a clinical
study at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center from February 2011 to June 2014.
Main outcome measures
Three- to seven-day food records were collected from subjects (n=76) at three time
points (12 to 15 weeks apart). Subjects were excluded from analysis (n=27) if they
completed less than three time points. Food records were reviewed by nutrition staff,
assigned to a season, and coded in Nutrient Data System for Research for energy, macronutrient,
micronutrient, and food-group serving analysis.
Statistical analyses
Multivariate general linear models were run on energy, macronutrient, micronutrient,
and food-group intakes, while being adjusted for age, sex, race, and body mass index
(calculated as kg/m2).
Results
Subjects had a mean±standard deviation body mass index of 25±3.9 and age of 34±12.4
years. Subject demographics were 71.1% white, 9.2% black/African American, 13.2% Asian,
and 6.6% unknown race, with 44.7% males and 55.3% females. Mean intake of energy across
seasons was 2,214.6±623.4 kcal with 17.3%±4.1%, 33.6%±5.5%, 46.6%±8.0%, and 2.7%±3.2%
of calories from protein, fat, carbohydrate, and alcohol, respectively. Intakes of
energy, macronutrients, micronutrients, and food groups did not differ between seasons.
Conclusions
People living in the metropolitan Washington, DC, area did not exhibit seasonal variation
in dietary intake. Therefore, when designing studies of nutrient intake in a metropolitan
population, these findings suggest that investigators do not need to consider the
season during which diet is examined.
Keywords
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Biography
S. Bernstein is a metabolic research dietitian, Nutrition Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
Biography
A. B. Courville is a metabolic research dietitian, Nutrition Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
Biography
K. Zambell is a clinical research dietitian, Nutrition Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
Biography
C. Arango is a dietetic intern, Nutrition Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
Biography
R. C. Kelley is a dietetic intern, Nutrition Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
Biography
S. G. Miszewski is a dietetic intern, Nutrition Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
Biography
S. Tryon is a dietetic intern, Nutrition Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
Biography
M. J. Amar is a medical officer, Pulmonary and Vascular Medicine Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 14, 2015
Accepted:
August 4,
2015
Received:
May 8,
2015
Footnotes
STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
FUNDING/SUPPORT This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health Intramural Research Program.
Identification
Copyright
Published by Elsevier Inc.
