Intake of Potatoes is Associated with Higher Diet Quality, and Improved Nutrient Intake and Adequacy Among US adolescents: NHANES 2001-2018 Analysis.

Background: Potatoes are nutrient rich white vegetables and are most widely consumed staple food. Research on potato consumption and impact on public health is limited and inconclusive. The objective of this study was to provide updated evaluation of the cross-sectional association between potato consumption and diet quality, nutrient intake and adequacy among adolescents. Methods: Two day 24-hour diet recall data from adolescents (n=16,633; age 9-18 years) participating in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2018 were used. Consumers were defined as those consuming any amount of potatoes (baked or boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes and potato mixtures, fried potatoes, and potato chips) on the days of dietary recall. Usual intakes of nutrients were determined using the National Cancer Institute method and diet quality was calculated using the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) scores after adjusting the data for demographic factors. Results: Intake of potatoes did not change over the last 18 years among US adolescent. Consumers of baked or boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes and potato mixtures had 4.70% higher (P<0.05) HEI-2015 total score and the score gradually increased with increasing intake quartile. HEI-2015 total scores were also higher for consumers of baked or boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes and potato mixtures, and fried potatoes (+2.01%, P<0.05) and for consumers of baked or boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes and potato mixtures, fried potatoes, and potato chips (+1.57%, P<0.05) than non-consumers. Consumers of potatoes had higher (P<0.05) intake of energy and nutrients (dietary fiber, protein, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, zinc, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K and total choline); and higher (P<0.05) nutrient adequacy for protein, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, thiamine, niacin, vitamin B6 and vitamin C, vitamin K than non-consumers. However, potato consumers also had a higher intake of sodium.Conclusion: The results show that potato consumption was associated with better diet quality, higher nutrient intake and improved nutrient adequacy. Potatoes are nutrient rich foods and encouraging their consumption may be an effective strategy for improving intakes and adequacy of key nutrients.Trial Registration: Not applicable, as this was a secondary analysis of publicly available data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).