Objective To examine the tracking (ie, the stability over time) of dietary intake in Mexican-American and white children aged 4 to 12 years.

Subjects Children 4 years of age (n=351) were assessed at baseline and 65% (n=228) completed the 8-year study.

Design Cardiovascular disease-related dietary intake was defined as energy, percent of energy from fat, and sodium (mg/1,000 kcal). From age 4 to 7 years, a modified 24-hour recall with observation of lunch and dinner and interview of the primary food preparer for unobserved foods was used to describe dietary intake. For children aged 11 to 12 years, a standardized 24-hour recall was used.

Statistical Analyses A mixed effects model that adjusted for sex, ethnicity, and measurement wave allowed for separation of shorter-term variations in diet from more stable (“between subject”) variations. Extent of between-subject variance is an indication of tracking.

Results From age 4 to age 7, there were statistically significant between-subject variance components for energy (P<.00001), percent of energy from fat (P<.00001), and sodium per 1,000 kcals (P<.001); for ages 11 and 12, energy intake was significant (P<.00001). There were no significant associations for dietary intake from age 4 to 12 years.

Conclusions/Applications It seems that dietary intakes are stable over short periods and at earlier ages compared with longer intervals and later ages. Nutrition interventions are needed in childhood and throughout adolescence. J Am Diet Assoc. 2002;102:683–689.