The DONALD study: History, current status and future perspectives

Nutrition during childhood and adolescence is an important determinant of development and health, both for the child and the later adult. In industrialised countries as well as in many countries of economic transition, emphasis has moved from combating nutrient deficiencies to research on the effect...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of nutrition 2004-02, Vol.43 (1), p.45-54
Main Authors: KROKE, Anja, MANZ, Friederich, KERSTING, Mathilde, REMER, Thomas, SICHERT-HELLERT, Wolfgang, ALEXY, Ute, LENTZE, Michael J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
Adult
Anthropometry
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
Child, Preschool
Cohort Studies
Diet
Diet Records
Diet Surveys
Feeding. Feeding behavior
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Germany - epidemiology
Health Behavior
Humans
Infant
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Nutritional Status
Obesity - epidemiology
Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems
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Summary:Nutrition during childhood and adolescence is an important determinant of development and health, both for the child and the later adult. In industrialised countries as well as in many countries of economic transition, emphasis has moved from combating nutrient deficiencies to research on the effects of overnutrition and food selection. Prevention of chronic diseases including obesity have become a major focus in research. However, the complex relation between infant growth and its related endocrine and metabolic changes on the one hand and the influence of nutrition and nutritional status on the other hand still need to be understood in detail. Studies aiming to elucidate this have to follow children and adolescents during their growth period. The following pages display the features of the German DONALD Study ( DOrtmund Nutritional and Anthropometric Longitudinally Designed Study) which was specifically designed to address these complex research questions. Finally, comparisons to other studies are made and the specific strength and weaknesses of this study are discussed. As the DONALD study offers unique research opportunities and due to its long follow-up an abundance of data, collaborative research is encouraged.
ISSN:1436-6207
1436-6215
DOI:10.1007/s00394-004-0445-7