Measuring Dietary Quality Among Toddlers in the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study, 2016 Using the New Healthy Eating Index-Toddlers-2020.

BACKGROUND

Child diet can impact risk for obesity and other related noncommunicable diseases. Few studies have used the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-Toddlers-2020 to assess diet quality among toddlers (children aged 12-23.9 months).

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine diet quality among toddlers participating in the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS), 2016 and determine differences by sociodemographic characteristics. Caregiver perception of how their toddler's diet aligns with HEI-Toddlers-2020 diet quality scores was also assessed.

DESIGN

This cross-sectional study used 24-hour dietary records collected in 2016.

PARTICIPANTS/SETTING

Data were collected on 12- to 23.9-month-old toddlers (n = 1,133) participating in the FITS 2016.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Diet quality was assessed using the HEI-Toddlers-2020.

STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED

The population ratio method was used for all analyses using weighted data to estimate HEI-Toddlers-2020 scores overall and within subgroups. To determine significant differences of the HEI-Toddlers-2020 score between subgroups, pairwise t-tests were used. Statistical significance at p<.05 was used as a cutoff for all two sided p-values.

RESULTS

Average HEI-Toddlers-2020 score among 12-23.9-month-olds participating in FITS 2016 was 71.2 out of a possible 100. Total scores varied by race and ethnicity with Hispanic toddlers having higher scores compared to non-Hispanic White toddlers (76.4 (2.5) vs. 69.0 (1.2), p=.03) and by federal poverty level with those >200% of the poverty level having higher scores compared to those <100% of the poverty level (74.7 (1.5) vs. 67.0 (2.6), p=.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Opportunities for improvement in dietary intake were identified using the new HEI-Toddlers-2020 to assess diet quality among 12-23.9-month-olds. Scores were indicative of toddlers consuming excess added sugars and lower than recommended amounts of seafood and plant proteins, greens and beans, whole grains, and vegetables. Interventions to improve diet quality in toddlers may benefit from focusing on foods children should eat more of along with foods to consume in moderation.

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Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.