Background and Objectives: To study the associations between nutrient intake, dairy intake and socioeconomic
variables. Methods and Study Design: Food consumption data using 24 h recall were collected in
3600 children, aged 0.5 to 12 years old in addition to frequency of dairy use and anthropometric and sociodemographic
variables. Results: Overall height for age Z-score (HAZ) and body mass index for age Z-score
(BAZ) values (mean±SE) were -1.40±0.03 and -0.48±0.03 respectively, associated with a high prevalence of
stunting and thinness in the population. The overall percentage of children not using any dairy products was 71%,
and this percentage increased steadily with age. The overall energy intake from dairy was 99±3 kcal/capita/day
and the overall energy intake from dairy in dairy users was 291±7 kcal/day. Dairy use did not differ between boys
and girls, but was higher in urban areas, higher if the education of the mother was higher and higher if the mother
had a permanent job and if the wealth status of the family was in the upper levels. Nutrient intake after the age of
3 years was inadequate for energy and all nutrients except for protein. The achievement of Recommended Dietary
Allowances (RDA) for all nutrients was higher in dairy users compared to non-dairy users, also after correcting
for the confounding effect of the higher energy intake (from dairy) and socio-demographic variables. The contribution
increased with increasing frequency of dairy use. Conclusion: Adequate dairy intake can substantially add
to the achievement of RDA in Indonesian children.