National dietary survey of schoolchildren, Australia, 1985

The National Dietary Survey of Schoolchildren was conducted in conjunction with the Health and Fitness Survey of the Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation Incorporated (ACHPER). Its main aims were: to determine food consumption and nutrient intake of Australian schoolchildren aged 10 to 15 years in both rural and urban areas; to collect national data on children's diets to develop nutrition policy and associated nutrition education and other programs for this population group; to collect biochemical data on the iron status of boys and girls aged 9, 12 and 15 years in the population group; and to correlate iron status of boys and girls aged 12 and 15 years with dietary intakes of iron in population subgroups. Basic measurements of upper arm circumference, height, weight and blood pressure were taken from each respondent. Background information collected included: sex, age, state of residence, country of birth, parents' country of birth, length of residence in Australia, language spoken at home, how frequently the respondent consumed alcohol and whether the respondent ate before going to school. A 24 hour dietary and beverage intake schedule was also completed with the assistance of a trained interviewer.