scholarly journals Development and validation of a Meal Index of dietary Quality (Meal IQ) to assess the dietary quality of school lunches

2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 2091-2099 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianne S Sabinsky ◽  
Ulla Toft ◽  
Klaus K Andersen ◽  
Inge Tetens
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Saturated Fat ◽  
Dietary Quality ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Evaluation Tool ◽  
School Lunches ◽  
Nutrient Contents ◽  
Simple Index

AbstractObjectiveSchool lunch programmes are one strategy to promote healthier dietary habits in children, but better evaluation tools for assessing the dietary quality of such programmes are needed. The aim of the present study was to develop and validate a simple index to assess the dietary quality of school lunches for children aged 7–13 years.DesignA Meal Index of dietary Quality (Meal IQ) was developed to consist of seven components (nutrients and food groups) based on dietary issues for children aged 7–13 years, which were identified in a national dietary survey. The Meal IQ was validated against calculated nutrient contents of school lunches both provided by the school and brought from home.SettingAt eight public schools from all over Denmark, data were collected on 191 individual lunches brought from home (which is most common in Denmark) and thirty-one lunches provided as part of a school food programme. In addition thirty-two lunches provided at eighteen other public schools were included.SubjectsA total of 254 school lunches.ResultsA higher Meal IQ score was associated with a higher overall dietary quality, including lower contents of fat, saturated fat and added sugars, higher contents of fibre, various vitamins and minerals, and more fruits, vegetables and fish.ConclusionsThe Meal IQ is a valid and useful evaluation tool for assessing the dietary quality of lunches provided by schools or brought to school from home.

scholarly journals Investigating dietary acculturation and intake among US-born and Thailand/Laos-born Hmong-American children aged 9–18 years

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 176-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Urvashi Mulasi-Pokhriyal ◽  
Chery Smith ◽  
Lisa Franzen-Castle
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Intake ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Saturated Fat ◽  
Dietary Quality ◽  
Twin Cities ◽  
Dietary Consumption ◽  
Obesity And Diabetes ◽  
The Usa ◽  
American Children

AbstractObjectiveThe Hmong are a growing population of South-East Asian immigrants with increasing rates of obesity and diabetes, yet little is known about their dietary consumption patterns. The present study aimed to investigate the dietary intake of Hmong children and whether acculturation and/or time lived in the USA influences dietary intake, BMI and nutritional status.DesignTwo 24 h dietary recalls were collected on non-consecutive days using the multiple-pass interviewing method and were averaged. Heights and weights were measured, from which BMI was calculated. An acculturation score was computed.SettingSchools, churches, Hmong organizations, and community centres.SubjectsThree hundred and thirty-five Hmong children aged 9–18 years from Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA.ResultsApproximately half of our participants were either overweight or obese. US-born children were significantly heavier, taller, had a higher BMI, and in general consumed more energy, saturated fat and Na than those who were born in Thailand/Laos and were living in the USA for <5 years. Children who were more acculturated to US norms including language use, social connections and dietary habits had higher BMI-for-age and consumed significantly more saturated fat, trans fatty acids, Na and Ca compared with their less acculturated counterparts.ConclusionsDiets of most Hmong children appear below the recommendations for fibre, vitamins A, D and E, Ca, P, Mg and K, and are higher in fats, sugars and Na. Living in an obesogenic US environment is a probable reason for poor dietary quality of Hmong and may be a contributing factor to the rising rates of obesity and diabetes in this population.

scholarly journals Role of alternate healthy eating index (AHEI) in communicating the quality of diet

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 96-102
Author(s):  
Krishna Mohandas ◽  
L. Prema
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Diet Quality ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Healthy Eating Index ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Good Tool ◽  
The Difference

The food habits of global population has been evolving in such a way that makes unhealthy foods cheaper and widely available and healthy foods costly and less available. Being surrounded by such foods and living in an environment with lesser requirement for physical activity is the primary reason for the pandemic explosion in overweight and obesity. This study is an attempt to analyze the quality of diet with an aim to study the significance of Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) in predicting the quality of dietary intake. Methodology: The study was conducted in 66 respondents (44 females and 22 males) aged 18-65 years with BMI between 23 kg/m2 to 50 kg/m2. The respondent’s data were collected using a pretested standard questionnaire. The nutrient consumption was calculated from the 24 hour recall and the AHEI scores were derived from recall and food use frequency data. The data were analysed using SAS software. Results: The intake of Energy, protein, fat and carbohydrates were more than their requirement while intake of fibre was not meeting the requirement. The AHEI scores obtained ranged from 36 to 76 with a mean value of 55.6 ± 9.54. A positive linear association for AHEI with BMI (0.0362) and energy intake (0.13) was established through Pearson’s correlation while the association was negative with BMR (-0.14). Paired t test comparing AHEI against the difference between intake and requirement of macronutrients revealed that when the diet quality was good (as indicated by AHEI>51), the difference in intake exhibited a significant linear relationship with p values <0.001 while no relation was established when the diet quality was poor. Conclusion: AHEI encompasses all nutrients and food groups relevant to metabolic health and it can be used as a good tool to assess the quality of dietary habits of overweight and obese subjects.

scholarly journals Dietary diversity predicts dietary quality regardless of season in 6–12-month-old infants in south-west Ethiopia

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (14) ◽  
pp. 2485-2494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mekitie Wondafrash ◽  
Lieven Huybregts ◽  
Carl Lachat ◽  
Kimberley P Bouckaert ◽  
Patrick Kolsteren
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Dietary Quality ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
South West ◽  
South West Ethiopia ◽  
Breast Fed

AbstractObjectiveSimple, cost-effective and convenient instruments like food group-based scores are proposed to assess micronutrient adequacy of children in developing countries. We assessed the predictive ability and seasonal stability of a dietary diversity score (DDS) to indicate dietary quality of infants.DesignA 24 h dietary recall assessment was carried out on a sample of 320 and 312 breast-fed infants aged 6–12 months during harvest (HS) and pre-harvest (PHS) seasons, respectively, in Ethiopia. DDS was calculated based on seven food groups, while mean micronutrient density adequacy (MMDA) was calculated for eight micronutrients. Multiple linear regression models were used to assess the relationship between DDS and MMDA, and differences in nutrient intake between the two seasons. A receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to derive DDS cut-offs that maximized sensitivity and specificity of assessing dietary quality.SettingThe study was conducted in the catchment of the Gilgel Gibe Field Research Centre of Jimma University, south-west Ethiopia.ResultsThe mean (sd) DDS for HS and PHS was 2·1 (0·94) and 2·3 (1·1), respectively. The DDS was associated with MMDA (β=0·045, P<0·0001 in HS; β=0·044, P<0001 in PHS). A DDS of ≤2 food groups best predicted ‘low’ MMDA (<50 %) with 84 % and 92 % sensitivity, 36 % and 43 % specificity, and 47 % and 51 % correct classification for the HS and PHS, respectively.ConclusionsDDS is predictive of dietary quality of breast-fed infants. The study supports the use of DDS to indicate inadequate intakes of micronutrients by breast-fed infants in different seasons.

scholarly journals Glycaemic index and glycaemic load in the diet of healthy schoolchildren: trends from 1990 to 2002, contribution of different carbohydrate sources and relationships to dietary quality

2005 ◽  
Vol 94 (5) ◽  
pp. 796-803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anette E. Buyken ◽  
Wiebke Dettmann ◽  
Mathilde Kersting ◽  
Anja Kroke
Keyword(s):  
Food Choice ◽  
Glycaemic Index ◽  
Dietary Quality ◽  
Partial Replacement ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Glycaemic Load ◽  
Mashed Potatoes ◽  
A Minor

Despite intense discussion of the glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) concepts, data on the GI or GL levels in the diet of children are scarce. The present analysis determined trends in the levels of GI or GL of healthy children from 1990 to 2002 and examined the contribution of carbohydrate (CHO) sources to the overall GL, and the relationships of the GI and GL to the overall dietary quality. The analysis includes three cohorts of participants from the Dortmund Nutritional and Anthropometrical Longitudinally Designed study, aged 7–8 years in 1990 (n 53), 1996 (n 46) and 2002 (n 56). A GI value was assigned to all CHO foods recorded over three consecutive days. In comparison with 1990, 7–8-year-old children in 2002 had slightly higher GI (56·5 v. 55·1%; P=0·03) and GL (17·5 v. 16·7g/MJ; P=0·04) levels. In all three time periods the combined contribution of the ‘tolerated food groups’ (i.e. sweets, soft drinks, cakes and cookies, and salty snacks) to the overall GL exceeded that of bread and rolls (1990, 31 v. 24%; 1996, 29 v. 31%; 2002, 28 v. 25%). Conversely, rice and fried or mashed potatoes had only a minor impact. Children in the lowest GI tertile, but not those in the lowest GL tertile, had a better nutrient profile and a more favourable food choice. In conclusion, partial replacement of high-GI ‘tolerated food groups’ for low-GI foods would help to reverse the slight recent increases in GI and GL, and to improve the overall dietary quality of 7–8-year-old children.

scholarly journals Breakfast in Denmark. Prevalence of Consumption, Intake of Foods, Nutrients and Dietary Quality. A Study from the International Breakfast Research Initiative

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1085 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sisse Fagt ◽  
Jeppe Matthiessen ◽  
Camilla Thyregod ◽  
Karsten Kørup ◽  
Anja Biltoft-Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Fibre ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Saturated Fat ◽  
Dietary Quality ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Added Sugar ◽  
Research Initiative ◽  
Total Fat

Breakfast is considered by many to be the most important meal of the day. This study examined the intake of nutrients and foods at breakfast among Danes and the relation to the overall dietary quality. Data were derived from the Danish National Survey on Diet and Physical Activity 2011–2013, a cross-sectional national food consumption study. A total of 3680 participants aged 6–75 years were included in the analyses of breakfast consumption. The Nutrient Rich Food Index 9.3 method was used to examine the overall dietary quality of the diet. The intake of nutrients and foods at breakfast were compared across dietary quality score tertiles by ANCOVA adjusted for energy and socio economic status. Breakfast was eaten frequently by children and adults and contributed with 18–20% of total energy intake. Breakfast was relatively high in dietary fibre, B vitamins, calcium and magnesium and low in added sugar, total fat, sodium, vitamin A and D. A decrease in the intake of added sugar, total fat and saturated fat and an increase in the intake of dietary fibre and most micronutrients were seen across tertiles of dietary quality scores. Commonly consumed foods provided at breakfast in Denmark included bread, breakfast cereals and dairy products as well as water, coffee and juice, while intakes of fruits, vegetables, cakes and soft drinks were low.

Distance from the nearest grocery stores and frequency of store-specific shopping are associated with dietary intake frequency among the community-dwelling independent elderly population

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 197-207
Author(s):  
Shinji Iizaka ◽  
Emiko Koitabashi ◽  
Takako Negishi ◽  
Aki Kawamura ◽  
Yuzuru Iizuka
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Intake ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Dietary Quality ◽  
Grocery Stores ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Suburban Cities

Background: Low accessibility to grocery stores may change dietary habits and increase health problems for elderly people living in communities. Aim: This study investigated whether the distance from the nearest grocery stores, including supermarkets, convenience stores, and drugstores, and the frequency of store-specific shopping were associated with dietary intake frequency among elderly people. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two towns of suburban cities. A total of 177 people aged ≥65 years were recruited ( M age=76.7 years). The frequency of intake of 10 food groups and dietary variety scores (DVS) were evaluated. Distances from the districts to the nearest grocery stores and the frequency of shopping during a week at each store were evaluated using a geographic information system. Results: For supermarkets, people living <300 metres from the nearest supermarket showed a higher intake frequency of fruit ( p=0.024) and oil/fat ( p=0.045), and those shopping three or more times a week showed a higher intake frequency of meat ( p=0.025). In the case of drugstores, people shopping one or more times a week showed a higher intake frequency of eggs ( p=0.006) and oil/fat ( p=0.048). People living <300 m from the nearest supermarkets ( p=0.048) and drugstores ( p=0.047) showed higher DVS than those living ≥500 m from the nearest supermarkets and drugstores. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that shopping at supermarkets and drugstores is associated with dietary intake frequency and dietary quality for elderly people living in suburban cities.

Quality evaluation of composite flour laddoo containing sprouted and malted ingredients

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 476-487
Author(s):  
Dipika Agrahar-Murugkar ◽  
Aiman Zaidi ◽  
Chetan Gupta
Keyword(s):  
New Product Development ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Radical Scavenging ◽  
Saturated Fat ◽  
Sensory Profile ◽  
Composite Flour ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Development of new products rich in nutrients required for growth and development along with acceptability can contribute in alleviating malnutrition. Laddoo, a traditional sweet, is well-accepted by people at large. However, traditional laddoos contain one or two food groups – sugar and saturated fat, which are not healthy. The aim of this research was to formulate a nutritious laddoo using different food groups and to study its nutritional, functional, textural and sensory profile. Design/methodology/approach Composite flour laddoo (TL) was formulated using a mix of cereals, sprouted legumes, malted millets, dairy ingredients, fruit, oil and jaggery and evaluated for particle size, colour, texture, nutritional, functional and sensory evaluation and compared with traditional wheat (CL-1) and chickpea (CL-2) flour laddoos (CL). Findings The TL’s were significantly softer in texture compared to CLs, resulting in ease in biting, chewing and swallowing. The nutritional quality of TL was significantly higher in terms of protein (24.6 g/100 g), fibre (3.8 g/100 g), iron (10.4 mg/100 g) and phosphorus (287.5 mg/100 g). The functional quality of TL was also higher in terms of phenolics (123.0 gallic acid equivalent mg/100 g), flavonoids (6.9 quercitin equivalent mg/100 g) and antioxidant activity (62.6 per cent radical-scavenging activity). Organoleptic evaluation also showed higher acceptability (eight) of TL against six for CL-1 and seven for CL-2. Originality/value Fortification of food products to enhance the nutritive value has become the major focus of the researchers in the field of new product development, owing to the consumer need for products having high nutritive and sensorial properties. Malnutrition is a serious matter of concern among the population of India, and the present situation demands development of products that are rich in nutrients required for growth and development and readily acceptable. Traditional laddoos made using a single ingredient does not provide sufficient nutrients, and sugar and saturated fat used for binding are not healthy options. No work on using composite flour along with sprouting/malting, jaggery and unsaturated fat to prepare laddoos with its nutritional, functional and textural properties has been reported.

scholarly journals Nutritional quality of children's school lunches: differences according to food source

2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. 2259-2264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer P Taylor ◽  
Kimberley J Hernandez ◽  
Jane Mary Caiger ◽  
Donna Giberson ◽  
Debbie MacLellan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Prince Edward Island ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Vitamin B ◽  
School Lunches ◽  
Nutrient Density ◽  
Distribution Ranges ◽  
Food Consumed

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the nutritional quality of lunchtime food consumption among elementary-school children on Prince Edward Island according to the source of food consumed (homev. school).DesignStudents completed a lunchtime food record during an in-class survey. Dietary adequacy was assessed by comparing median micronutrient intakes with one-third of the Estimated Average Requirement; median macronutrient intakes were compared with the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to assess differences in nutrient intakes according to source of food consumed.SettingElementary schools in Prince Edward Island, Canada.SubjectsGrade 5 and 6 students (n1980).ResultsFoods purchased at school were higher in nutrient density for ten micronutrients (Ca, Mg, K, Zn, vitamin A, vitamin D, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6and vitamin B12) compared with packed lunch foods from home, which were higher in three micronutrients (Fe, vitamin C and folate). School lunches provided sufficient protein but were higher in sugar and fat than home lunches. Foods brought from home were higher in carbohydrates, fibre and Na than foods purchased at school.ConclusionsThe overall nutritional quality of lunches was poor, regardless of source. A significant proportion of foods consumed by the students came from home sources; these were lower nutritional quality and were higher in Na than foods offered at school. Findings suggest that improving the dietary habits of school-aged children will require a collaborative effort from multiple stakeholders, including parents.

Chronic Disease, Prescription Medications, and Food Purchases

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 916-924 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilya Rahkovsky ◽  
Tobenna Anekwe ◽  
Christian Gregory
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Disease ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Prescription Drugs ◽  
Pharmacological Treatment ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Saturated Fat ◽  
Dietary Quality ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Food Purchases

Purpose: Diet-related chronic diseases like diabetes can be dangerous and expensive to treat, especially for patients who do not follow a recommended diet. Meanwhile, prescription drugs can alleviate the symptoms of or control many diet-related chronic diseases, but these drugs may also weaken the resolve to follow recommended diets (moral hazard). Design: We measure the effect of a diagnosis of chronic disease and subsequent pharmacological treatment on the dietary quality of food purchases using a large panel data set of US consumers. We estimate the effect of prescription drug utilization on food purchases for the following chronic diseases: type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, and obesity. Participants: Panelists of the Information Resources, Inc consumer panel. Measures: Dietary quality is measured as purchases of (1) food groups (ie, fruit, vegetables, and sweets) and (2) nutrients (ie, saturated fat, fiber, sodium, sugar, and total calories). Analysis: Linear regression with mixed effects on pooled panel (household random effects, city fixed effects). Results/Conclusion: We do not find strong effects of either diagnosis or pharmacological treatment of diet-related disease on food purchases.

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