The relationship between dietary intakes and plasma concentrations of PUFA in school-age children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort

An adequate intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) plays a vital role in human 27 health. Therefore, it is important to assess PUFA intakes in different populations and 28 validate them with biomarkers, but only a few small studies are in paediatric populations. 29 We calculated the dietary intake of PUFAs and their main food sources in children and 30 assessed associations between PUFA intakes and plasma proportions. Dietary intakes 31 of 7-year-old children (n=8,242) enrolled in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and 32 Children were calculated from parental-completed food frequency questionnaire. 33 Plasma PUFAs were measured in 5,571 children 8 months later and 4,380 children had 34 complete dietary and plasma data. The association between dietary and plasma PUFAs 35 proportions were estimated using Spearman’s correlation coefficients, quintile cross36 classification and Cohen’s kappa coefficients. Mean total PUFA intake was 13.2g/day 37 (sd4.2), contributing 6.5% of total energy intake; n-6 PUFA contributed 5.2% and n-3 38 PUFA 0.7%. The n-6:n-3 ratio was 7.9:1. Mean intakes of eicosapentaenoic acid and 39 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were 35.7mg/day and 49.7mg/day, respectively. Most n40 3 and n-6 PUFA intakes were weakly correlated with their respective plasma lipids 41 (0.07≤ r ≤0.16, p<0.001). The correlation between dietary and plasma DHA was 42 stronger though (r=0.34, p<0.001), supported by a modest level of agreement between 43 quintiles (k=0.32). The results indicate that the FFQ was able to reasonably rank the 44 long-chain PUFA, DHA, in this paediatric population. Public health initiatives need to 45 address the suboptimal ratio of n-6:n-3 PUFAs and very low n-3 long-chain PUFA 46 intakes in school-aged children in the UK.