4~8歲過動兒與正常兒童飲食攝取之比較

According to the research on biological psychology, the causes of childhood hyperactivity (attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, ADHD) may be related to the damage of microscopical functions in the brain. It is also believed that dietary factors could influence the functions of the brain, such as low protein diets, the deficiencies of tryptophan, essential fatty acids, vitamins or minerals, or the excessive intake of artificial colors and flavors. In addition, dietary sugar and heavy metals, such as lead or mercury, have been reported to be associated with hyperactivity and other behavioral problems in children. Therefore, it is very important to investigate nutrient intake of hyperactive children for helping the medical treatment. By stratified sampling method, twenty and thirty two subjects were selected respectively from hyperactive children and normal children aged four to eight years in this study. The dietary history questionnaire, dietary frequency questionnaire, twenty four-hour dietary recall and three-day dietary record were used to investigate the differences of nutrient intake between hyperactive children and normal children. It was found that essential fatty acid intakes including linoleic and linolenic acid for hyperactive children was significantly less than that of normal children. However, the intake of other nutrients showed no significant differences between hyperactive children and normal children. The relationship between essential fatty acids and childhood hyperactivity warrants more investigation in the future.