Assessment of Food Consumption Frequency Among Schoolchildren: Cross-Sectional Study from an Urbanized Region of Central Kazakhstan.

Background/Objectives: Nutrition during school age is a key public health issue, as eating habits formed in this period may affect growth, cognitive development, and future health. This study aimed to assess food consumption frequency and age, gender, and socio-demographic differences in dietary patterns among schoolchildren aged 7-17 years in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among schoolchildren aged 7-17 years attending state secondary schools in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, from September 2025 to February 2026. Food consumption frequency was assessed using a bilingual Russian-Kazakh questionnaire developed by the authors based on food frequency questionnaire approaches and adapted to the Kazakhstani context; the questionnaire included 41 food items, including national meat products and traditional fermented milk drinks, and Principal Component Analysis was applied to identify dietary patterns. Results: A total of 864 schoolchildren aged 7-17 years were included in the study, with comparable distribution by sex and age groups. Frequent consumption of fast food, coffee, processed and canned meat products increased markedly with age, while consumption of milk, fermented dairy products, juices, fresh fish and berries was lower, especially among older adolescents. Principal Component Analysis identified three dietary patterns-"processed and fast-food", "traditional meat-based", and "mixed dairy-based pattern"-with the processed and fast-food pattern more strongly associated with older age, non-Kazakh ethnicity, and school location in the South-East district. Conclusions: The findings indicate age-related shifts toward less balanced dietary choices among Karaganda schoolchildren, particularly among adolescents, supporting the need for targeted school- and family-based interventions to reduce fast food, sugary drink, coffee, and processed meat consumption while promoting healthier food choices.