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Cited by 98Fatty Acid Research and HealthNutritional Studies and DietAquaculture Nutrition and Growth

Omega-3 Fatty Acid Intake by Age, Gender, and Pregnancy Status in the United States: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003–2014

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Thompson, Maranda, Hein, Nicholas, Hanson, Corrine, Smith, Lynette M., Anderson-Berry, Ann, Richter, Chesney K., Stessy Bisselou, Karl, Kusi Appiah, Adams +3 more·2019·Nutrients
DOI 10.3390/nu11010177PMC PMC6356780
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Abstract

Despite the importance of n-3 fatty acids for health, intakes remain below recommended levels. The objective of this study was to provide an updated assessment of fish and n-3 fatty acid intake (i.e., eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and EPA+DHA) in the United States using the 2003–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data (n = 45,347)). Over this survey period, toddlers, children, and adolescents (aged 1–19) had significantly lower n-3 fatty acid intake (p < 0.001) compared to adults and seniors, which remained significant after adjusting for caloric intake. Females demonstrated lower n-3 fatty acid intake than males (p < 0.001), with adult and senior women having significantly lower intakes compared to men in the same age categories (p < 0.001) after adjustment for energy intake. Women also consumed less fish than men (5.8 versus 6.1 servings/month, p < 0.001). The estimated intakes of n-3 fatty acids in pregnant women did not differ from non-pregnant women (p = 0.6 for EPA+DHA), although pregnant women reported consuming less high n-3 fatty acid-containing fish than non-pregnant women (1.8 versus 2.6 servings/month, p < 0.001). Our findings indicate that subgroups of the population may be at higher risk of n-3 fatty acid intakes below recommended levels.

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  • Current estimates of seafood consumption in the United States are about 6 servings per month and about 53 mg/1,000 calories per day of EPA + DHA.

    “Current estimates of seafood consumption in the United States are about 6 servings per month and about 53 mg/1,000 calories per day of EPA + DHA (88).”

    From 2021 ACC Expert Consensus Decision Pathway on the Management of ASCVD Risk Reduction in Patients With Persistent Hypertriglyceridemia (2021) · cites this paper as [88]

    The Results (sections 3.2 and 3.3; page unavailable) report about 53 mg EPA+DHA per 1,000 kcal and 6.5 fish servings per month for US adults. The claim presents these as estimates for the United States generally, but the paper reports different intakes for children, adolescents, and seniors. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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Authors
Thompson, M., Hein, N., Hanson, C., Smith, L. M., Anderson-Berry, A., Richter, C. K., Stessy Bisselou, K., Kusi Appiah, A., Kris-Etherton, P., Skulas-Ray, A. C., & Nordgren, T. M.
Affiliations
  • University of Nebraska Medical Center (US)
  • Department of Pediatrics, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
  • University of Arizona (US)
  • College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
  • Department of Nutritional Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
  • Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
  • University of California, Riverside (US)
Corresponding author
Nordgren, Tara M.
ORCID
Venue
Nutrients
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2019-01-15
Volume
11
Issue
1
Pages
177
ISSN
2072-6643 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/nu11010177
PMC
PMC6356780
OpenAlex
W2910268524
Cited by
98
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 9
FWCI
10.85
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Nutrients (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UA Campus Repository (The University of Arizona) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (K99ES025819, R00ES025819)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Fatty Acid Research and Health
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutritional Studies and Diet
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Aquatic Science › Aquaculture Nutrition and Growth
Keywords
omega-3 fatty acids, fish consumption, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, EPA and DHA, age differences, sex differences, pregnancy, dietary assessment, NHANES, adolescents
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Child, Child, Preschool, Diet, Docosahexaenoic Acids, Female, Humans, Infant, Male, Middle Aged, Nutrition Surveys, Nutritional Requirements, Pregnancy, United States, Eicosapentaenoic Acid, Nutrition Assessment, Seafood, Young Adult

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