Diet and nutrition: data for children

The 2003 Scottish Health Survey reported that:

• 12% of children (aged 5-15 years) consumed the recommended amount of five or more portions of fruit and vegetables per day (Table 1), with a further 12% consuming none at all.

Table 1: Fruit and vegetable consumption, by age and sex (ages 5-15 years)

% eating five or more  portions per day	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	5-15
Boys	14	8	11	15	8	16	11	11	11	13	13	12
Girls	11	13	9	10	11	14	14	9	20	12	14	12

Source: Extract from Volume 3, Table 3.1 of the 2003 Scottish Health Survey (based on small numbers)

• A lower percentage of children from low income households than high income households consumed the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables per day, and this low income group was also more likely to have eaten no fruit or vegetables at all (Table 2). 

Table 2: Fruit and vegetable consumption by equivalised household income quintile and sex (ages 5-15 years)

Fruit and vegetable consumption per day	Quintile 1 (highest income)	Quintile 2	Quintile 3	Quintile 4	Quintile 5 (lowest income)
Boys - % eating five or more portions         - % eating no portions	18 6	9 6	12 15	10 12	10 15
Girls  - % eating five or more portions         - % eating no portions	19 10	10 6	12 10	11 9	9 19

Source: Extract from Volume 3, Table 3.4 of the 2003 Scottish Health Survey (based on small numbers)

• Children's consumption of fruit and vegetables was very similar in Scotland and England (Table 3).

Table 3: Fruit and vegetable consumption in Scotland and England, by age and sex (ages 5-15 years)

% eating five or more  portions per day	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	5-15
Boys - Scotland         - England	14 11	8 10	11 9	15 9	8 10	16 11	11 12	11 12	11 12	13 15	13 16	12 11
Girls - Scotland        - England	11 10	13 8	9 11	10 11	11 9	14 11	14 13	9 13	20 12	12 13	14 14	12 12

Source: Extract from Volume 3, Table 3.7 of the 2003 Scottish Health Survey (based on small numbers)

See Volume 3, Chapter 3 of the Scottish Health Survey 2003 for the full tables, and for information on eating habits.