Diet Quality and Nutrient Adequacy Among Polish Children: Findings from the PITNUTS 2024 Study

Sawicki, Michał; Kowalkowska, Joanna; Kawiak-Jawor, Ewa; Kulaga, Zbigniew; Rowicka, Grazyna; Socha, Piotr; Swiader-Lesniak, Anna; Swiecicka-Ambroziak, Agnieszka; Szajewska, Hanna; Wadolowska, Lidia; Wiech, Malgorzata; Weker, Halina

doi:10.3390/nu17213364

Open AccessArticle

Diet Quality and Nutrient Adequacy Among Polish Children: Findings from the PITNUTS 2024 Study

by

Michał Sawicki

¹,

Joanna Kowalkowska

^2,*

,

Ewa Kawiak-Jawor

³,

Zbigniew Kulaga

⁴

,

Grazyna Rowicka

⁵

,

Piotr Socha

⁶,

Anna Swiader-Lesniak

⁷

,

Agnieszka Swiecicka-Ambroziak

⁸,

Hanna Szajewska

⁹,

Lidia Wadolowska

²

,

Malgorzata Wiech

¹⁰ and

Halina Weker

¹⁰

¹

Nutricia Foundation, 8 Bobrowiecka Street, 00-728 Warsaw, Poland

²

Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Food Science, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 45F Sloneczna Street, 10-718 Olsztyn, Poland

³

Department of Social Innovation, Łukasiewicz Research Network—ITECH Institute of Innovation and Technology, 87 Zelazna Street, 00-879 Warsaw, Poland

⁴

Department of Public Health, Children’s Memorial Health Institute, 20 Dzieci Polskich Avenue, 04-730 Warsaw, Poland

⁵

Pediatric Gastroenterology Outpatients Clinic, Institute of Mother and Child, 17a Kasprzaka Street, 01-211 Warsaw, Poland

⁶

Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Nutritional Disorders and Paediatrics, Children’s Memorial Health Institute, 20 Dzieci Polskich Avenue, 04-730 Warsaw, Poland

⁷

Department of Anthropology, Children’s Memorial Health Institute, 20 Dzieci Polskich Avenue, 04-730 Warsaw, Poland

⁸

Medical Affairs and Market Access Department, Nutricia Polska, 8 Bobrowiecka Street, 00-728 Warsaw, Poland

⁹

Department of Paediatrics, Medical University of Warsaw, 61 Żwirki i Wigury Street, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland

¹⁰

Department of Nutrition, Institute of Mother and Child, 17a Kasprzaka Street, 01-211 Warsaw, Poland

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Nutrients 2025, 17(21), 3364; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17213364

Submission received: 24 September 2025 / Revised: 15 October 2025 / Accepted: 23 October 2025 / Published: 26 October 2025

(This article belongs to the Section Nutritional Epidemiology)

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Abstract

Background/Objectives: The past evidence indicates that Polish children’s diets frequently deviate from recommendations. The aim of the PITNUTS 2024 study was to provide an updated nationwide assessment of energy and nutrient intake among children aged 5–72 months, evaluate the risk of inadequate intake, and examine the relationship between diet quality patterns and nutritional adequacy. Methods: PITNUTS 2024 was a cross-sectional study analyzing dietary data from a representative sample of 940 Polish children. Dietary intake was assessed qualitatively and quantitatively. Nutrient adequacy was evaluated using the estimated average requirement or adequate intake cut-point method. Two diet quality scores were developed: the Children’s pro-Healthy Diet Score and the Children’s non-Healthy Diet Score, and their association with the risk of inadequate intake was evaluated using logistic regression. Results: The proportion of energy derived from protein intake exceeded recommended levels in most children, while that from fat was typically below reference levels, especially in younger groups of children. The risk of inadequate energy intake from carbohydrates was uncommon, while sucrose intake exceeding 10% of overall energy was present in almost half of the children. Among children aged 13–72 months, approximately 15% adhered to high child-pHDS, associated with a lower risk of insufficient intake of selected nutrients. Conclusions: The diets of Polish children aged 5–72 months show persistent nutritional risks, including excessive protein intake, low vitamin D intake, suboptimal fatty acid intake profiles, and insufficient calcium and fibre intake. Diet quality scores can be useful for identifying children at risk of inadequate nutrient intake.

Keywords: children; dietary inadequacies; dietary patterns; nutrition; Poland

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MDPI and ACS Style

Sawicki, M.; Kowalkowska, J.; Kawiak-Jawor, E.; Kulaga, Z.; Rowicka, G.; Socha, P.; Swiader-Lesniak, A.; Swiecicka-Ambroziak, A.; Szajewska, H.; Wadolowska, L.; et al. Diet Quality and Nutrient Adequacy Among Polish Children: Findings from the PITNUTS 2024 Study. Nutrients 2025, 17, 3364. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17213364

AMA Style

Sawicki M, Kowalkowska J, Kawiak-Jawor E, Kulaga Z, Rowicka G, Socha P, Swiader-Lesniak A, Swiecicka-Ambroziak A, Szajewska H, Wadolowska L, et al. Diet Quality and Nutrient Adequacy Among Polish Children: Findings from the PITNUTS 2024 Study. Nutrients. 2025; 17(21):3364. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17213364

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sawicki, Michał, Joanna Kowalkowska, Ewa Kawiak-Jawor, Zbigniew Kulaga, Grazyna Rowicka, Piotr Socha, Anna Swiader-Lesniak, Agnieszka Swiecicka-Ambroziak, Hanna Szajewska, Lidia Wadolowska, and et al. 2025. "Diet Quality and Nutrient Adequacy Among Polish Children: Findings from the PITNUTS 2024 Study" Nutrients 17, no. 21: 3364. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17213364

APA Style

Sawicki, M., Kowalkowska, J., Kawiak-Jawor, E., Kulaga, Z., Rowicka, G., Socha, P., Swiader-Lesniak, A., Swiecicka-Ambroziak, A., Szajewska, H., Wadolowska, L., Wiech, M., & Weker, H. (2025). Diet Quality and Nutrient Adequacy Among Polish Children: Findings from the PITNUTS 2024 Study. Nutrients, 17(21), 3364. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17213364

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Diet Quality and Nutrient Adequacy Among Polish Children: Findings from the PITNUTS 2024 Study

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