Purpose: To determine whether an intervention focusing on fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods (the DASH-4-Teens Intervention) could significantly alter mean nutrient intake of total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and protein and major food sources of these nutrients among hypertensive and pre-hypertensive adolescents.
Methods: Fifty-seven adolescents diagnosed with hypertension or pre-hypertension were randomly assigned to the DASH-4-Teens intervention (n=29) or routine hospital-based nutrition care (RC) (n=28). Dietary intake was collected using 24 hour recalls gathered over 3 days at baseline, post-treatment, and 3 month follow-up.
Results: In an analysis of intervention completers, DASH versus RC participants had a greater reduction in mean intake of total fat (p<.05) over RC from baseline to post-treatment, and a trend for a greater decrease in saturated fat intake (p=.09). The percent contribution to total nutrient intake from individual food items was reduced for the majority of top ranked food items contributing to fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol in DASH participants.
Conclusion: Individual food items contributing the greatest intake to fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol can be reduced with intervention. Food items such as cheese, milk, poultry, potato chips, and fried potatoes are major contributors to all three nutrients and warrant particular attention to modify their consumption in this population.