Researchers in Poland are launching a big study to find out what young children are actually eating and how healthy they are. This follows up on a similar study from 2016 that found many kids weren’t getting the right balance of nutrients. The new study will ask parents about their children’s diets and measure their growth to see if eating habits have improved over the past several years. By understanding what kids eat across different ages—from babies just starting solid foods to children almost 6 years old—scientists hope to create better nutrition guidelines and help families make healthier food choices.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: What young children in Poland eat and whether their diets match recommended nutrition guidelines, plus how their growth and weight compare to healthy standards.
  • Who participated: The study will include a representative sample of Polish children aged 5 months to 6 years old. Parents or guardians will answer questions about what their children eat, and researchers will measure the children’s height and weight.
  • Key finding: This is a study protocol (a plan for research), not yet completed research. The study aims to show whether Polish children’s eating habits have improved since 2016, when many were found to have nutritional imbalances.
  • What it means for you: If you have young children in Poland, this research may eventually help doctors and nutritionists give better advice about what kids should eat. The results could also influence school lunch programs and nutrition education for families.

The Research Details

This is a cross-sectional study, which means researchers will collect information from many families at one point in time rather than following the same families over months or years. Parents or guardians will be interviewed about their children’s diets using three different methods: a detailed 3-day food diary where they write down everything their child eats, a questionnaire about eating habits, and a food frequency list asking how often children eat certain foods. Researchers will also measure each child’s height and weight to assess their growth and nutritional status.

The study uses stratified random sampling, which is a fancy way of saying they’re carefully selecting families from different regions and backgrounds across Poland so the results represent all Polish children, not just those from one area or type of family. This approach helps ensure the findings apply broadly to the whole country.

The study compares what children actually eat to official nutrition guidelines from Poland and the World Health Organization (WHO). This allows researchers to identify which nutrients children might be getting too much or too little of, and whether their growth patterns are healthy.

Understanding what children actually eat is important because the food kids consume during early childhood affects their brain development, physical growth, and long-term health. A previous study in 2016 found problems with Polish children’s diets, so this new study will show whether things have improved or gotten worse. By collecting this information systematically from across the entire country, the results can guide real-world changes like school nutrition programs and advice from doctors.

This study has several strengths: it’s approved by an ethics board (meaning it meets safety and fairness standards), it uses validated methods (tools that have been tested and proven reliable), it aims for a nationally representative sample (meaning results should apply to all Polish children), and it uses multiple ways to measure diet (3-day food records, questionnaires, and food frequency lists) to get a complete picture. The main limitation is that it’s a snapshot in time rather than following children over years, so it can show what children eat now but not whether changes in diet cause changes in health over time.

What the Results Show

This is a study protocol document, meaning the research hasn’t been completed yet and results aren’t available. The researchers are describing their plan to assess the diets and growth of Polish children aged 5 months to 6 years. They will measure several things: how much energy (calories) and different nutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals) children consume daily, whether these amounts match official guidelines, what eating patterns are common among Polish children, and how children’s growth and weight compare to healthy standards.

Once the study is completed, researchers will look for connections between what children eat and how well they’re growing. For example, they might find that children eating certain food patterns have healthier weights or better nutrient intake than others. The study will also show whether dietary practices have changed since the 2016 study, revealing whether Polish families are making different food choices for their children.

Beyond the main findings, the researchers will likely examine how eating habits differ based on children’s ages (since nutritional needs change as kids grow), family background, and region of Poland. They may also identify specific nutrients that many Polish children aren’t getting enough of, or foods that children are eating too much of. These details could help create targeted nutrition education for families and inform policy changes.

The 2016 Polish Infants and Toddler Nutritional Study (PITNUTS 2016) found that many Polish children had imbalances in their nutrient intake—meaning they weren’t getting the right amounts of important vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. This new 2024 study will show whether these problems have been fixed, stayed the same, or gotten worse. It also expands the age range studied (from just babies and toddlers to children up to 6 years old), providing a more complete picture of childhood nutrition in Poland.

Since this is a study protocol rather than completed research, we don’t yet know the actual limitations of the data. However, typical limitations of this type of study include: parents may not remember or accurately report everything their children eat (recall bias), families who agree to participate might be different from those who don’t (selection bias), and the study captures only a moment in time rather than showing how diets change over years. Additionally, measuring diet through parent reports depends on parents’ honesty and memory, which can be imperfect.

The Bottom Line

This study hasn’t produced results yet, so specific recommendations aren’t available. However, once completed, the findings will likely inform recommendations from Polish health authorities about what children should eat. In the meantime, families should follow current WHO and Polish nutrition guidelines for young children, which emphasize breast milk or formula for infants, gradual introduction of varied whole foods, and limiting added sugars and ultra-processed foods. (Confidence: High for general guidance; specific recommendations will come from study results.)

Parents and caregivers of young children in Poland should pay attention to these results once they’re published. Healthcare providers, pediatricians, and nutritionists will use the findings to give better advice to families. School administrators and policymakers can use the results to improve school meal programs and nutrition education. The findings may also be relevant to other countries with similar populations and food systems.

The study is currently in progress, so results aren’t available yet. Once data collection is complete and analysis is finished, results will likely be published in scientific journals and presented at conferences within 1-2 years. Changes based on these findings—like updated guidelines or educational programs—would take additional time to develop and implement, likely 1-3 years after publication.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Once study results are available, users could track their child’s daily food intake using a 3-day food diary feature (similar to the study’s method) and compare it against Polish and WHO nutrition guidelines. The app could calculate daily calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates, and key micronutrients, showing whether the child is meeting recommendations.
  • Based on future study findings, the app could provide personalized suggestions for improving a child’s diet. For example, if the study shows many Polish children aren’t eating enough vegetables, the app could suggest easy ways to add more vegetables to meals and provide age-appropriate recipes.
  • Users could conduct a 3-day food diary every 3 months to track changes in their child’s eating patterns over time. The app could compare results to previous periods and to national guidelines, helping families see whether their child’s nutrition is improving and identifying specific nutrients that need attention.

This article describes a research study protocol (a plan for research) rather than completed findings. The study has not yet produced results. This information is for educational purposes only and should not replace advice from your child’s doctor or pediatrician. Nutrition needs vary by individual child based on age, health status, and other factors. Always consult with a healthcare provider before making significant changes to your child’s diet or if you have concerns about your child’s growth or nutrition.