Objective: To describe energy and nutrient intake and adequacy percentages in Mexican adolescents included in the Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey 2006 (ENSANUT 2006) as well as the proportion of population at risk of dietary inadequacy.
Material and methods: Data were analyzed from 7-day food-frequency questionnaires for 8442 male and female adolescents 12-19 years old. Energy and nutrient adequacies as percentage of the Estimated Average Requirement were calculated and comparisons were done by region, residence area, and socioeconomic status (SES).
Results: Energy intake was 1903 kcal [adequacy percentage (AP=75%)] in boys, and 1 571 kcal (AP=79.2%) in girls. Intake of most nutrients (zinc, iron, vitamin C and A) was lower in subjects of low SES, living in the southern region and in rural areas.
Conclusions: The rural area, the southern region, and the lower socioeconomic status show the lowest intakes and percentages of nutrient adequacy for both male and female adolescents, in particular vitamin A, folates, heme iron, zinc, and calcium.