Diet Quality of Atlantic Families Headed by Single Mothers

Purpose: As part of a larger study on food insecurity and dietary adequacy of low-income lone mothers and their children in Atlantic Canada, we examined diet quality among household members. Methods: Network sampling for ‘difficult to sample’ populations was used to identify mothers living below the poverty line and alone with at least two children under age 14. Trained dietitians administered 24-hour dietary recalls weekly for one month to mothers on the dietary intake of themselves and their children. We calculated Healthy Eating Index category scores for eligible mothers (129) and children (303) using Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating and the Nutrition Recommendations for Canadians. Results: Diet quality of low-income lone mothers was poor (35.5%) or in need of improvement (64.5%), with no mother having a good diet. The diet quality of children varied by age, with 22.7% of children aged one to three having a good diet or needing improvement (74.6%), 2.1% of children aged four to eight and no child aged nine to 14 having a good diet, while the diets of about 85% of older children in both age categories needed improvement. Conclusions: Younger children seem to be protected from poor quality diets in households with limited resources to acquire food.

Download Full-text

Diet Quality of Low‐income and Higher‐income Americans in 2003‐2004 as Measured by the Healthy Eating Index‐2005

The FASEB Journal ◽

10.1096/fasebj.23.1_supplement.540.5 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 23 (S1) ◽

Author(s):

Patricia M. Guenther ◽

WenYen Juan ◽

Mark Lino ◽

Hazel A Hiza ◽

Thomas V Fungwe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Healthy Eating ◽

Diet Quality ◽

Low Income ◽

Healthy Eating Index

Download Full-text

Diet Quality of Preschoolers in Greece Based on the Healthy Eating Index: The GENESIS Study

Journal of the American Dietetic Association ◽

10.1016/j.jada.2008.12.011 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 109 (4) ◽

pp. 616-623 ◽

Cited By ~ 50

Author(s):

Yannis Manios ◽

Georgia Kourlaba ◽

Katerina Kondaki ◽

Evangelia Grammatikaki ◽

Manolis Birbilis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Healthy Eating ◽

Diet Quality ◽

Healthy Eating Index

Download Full-text

Nutritional intake and overall diet quality of female soccer players before the competition period

Revista de Nutrição ◽

10.1590/1678-98652016000400010 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 29 (4) ◽

pp. 555-565 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Daniel dos SANTOS ◽

Jacqueline Queiroz da SILVEIRA ◽

Thais Borges CESAR

Keyword(s):

Nutritional Status ◽

Dietary Intake ◽

Healthy Eating ◽

Diet Quality ◽

Protein Quality ◽

Healthy Eating Index ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Professional Soccer

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the dietary intake and overall diet quality of female soccer players before the competitive games. Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study included 21 women aged 20.8±4.5 years from a professional soccer team. Their nutritional status and dietary adequacy during the training period, before competition season, were assessed. Dietary intake was assessed by three 24-hour recalls, one food frequency questionnaire, and the Healthy Eating Index, an overall diet quality index based on food group intake. Results: The athletes have shown proper nutritional status, but a diet deficient in energy due largely to low carbohydrate intake. On the other hand, the intakes of protein, fatty acids, and sodium were above the recommended intakes, even for athletes. Diet quality assessment by the Healthy Eating Index - 2010 resulted in a mean score of 54.6 points of a maximum of 100, indicating a need of improving the overall diet quality. Conclusion: The study found that the dietary patterns of female football players were both quantitatively and qualitatively inappropriate. A nutritional intervention is indicated to improve diet quality, with the inclusion of various foods, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and better protein quality, along with a reduction in saturated fats, sodium, and added sugar.

Download Full-text

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

FOOD SCIENCE RESEARCH JOURNAL ◽

10.15740/has/fsrj/11.2/96-102 ◽

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.

Download Full-text

Racial/Ethnic Differences in Diet Quality and Eating Habits Among WIC Pregnant Women: Implications for Policy and Practice

American Journal of Health Promotion ◽

10.1177/0890117119883584 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 34 (2) ◽

pp. 169-176 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Alla M. Hill ◽

Danielle L. Nunnery ◽

Alice Ammerman ◽

Jigna M. Dharod

Keyword(s):

African American ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

African American Women ◽

Healthy Eating ◽

Diet Quality ◽

Low Income ◽

Eating Behaviors ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Healthy Eating Index ◽

American Women

Purpose: One of the major federal food assistance programs, the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), serves approximately 1.5 million low-income pregnant women per year; however, limited information is available on their dietary habits. This is critical because low-income women are at higher risk of gaining excess weight during pregnancy. Thus, the study objectives were to (1) determine the overall diet quality of WIC pregnant women and (2) examine diet quality and eating behaviors by race/ethnicity and other sociodemographics. Design: This was a cross-sectional study. Setting: One of the 3 WIC offices in a north-central county in North Carolina, USA. Sample: Pregnant women (n = 198) in the second trimester. Measures: Interviews included sociodemographics, food security, diet, and eating behaviors. Diet quality was assessed by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) 2010 scores. Analysis: Descriptives, bivariate analysis, and multivariate analysis. Results: Average participant age was 26 years, and the mean HEI-2010 score was 56 of maximum score of 100. Specifically, African American women consumed significantly lower servings of whole grains (β = −1.71; 95% CI: −3.10 to −0.32; P < .05) and dairy (β = −1.42; 95% CI: −2.51 to −0.33; P < .05) compared with non-Hispanic white women. Hispanic women scored higher in daily intake of fruits (β = 0.98; 95% CI: 0.17-1.79; P < .05) and for consuming empty calories in moderation (β = 1.57; 95% CI: 0.06-3.09; P < .05). Frequency of intake of fast foods/outside meals was higher among African American women (57%, P = .025). Conclusion: Efforts are warranted to promote optimal nutrition among WIC pregnant women. Specifically, African American women are highly vulnerable to poor dietary habits during pregnancy. Further investigation of barriers/facilitators for healthy eating is necessary to address nutrition disparities among WIC pregnant women.

Download Full-text

Healthy Eating Index: Assessment of the Diet Quality of a Brazilian Elderly Population

Nutrition and Metabolic Insights ◽

10.1177/1178638818818845 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

pp. 117863881881884

Author(s):

Dalila Pinto de Souza Fernandes ◽

Maria Sônia Lopes Duarte ◽

Milene Cristine Pessoa ◽

Sylvia do Carmo Castro Franceschini ◽

Andréia Queiroz Ribeiro

Keyword(s):

Healthy Eating ◽

Diet Quality ◽

Saturated Fat ◽

Population Based ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Whole Grains ◽

Healthy Eating Index ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Global Quality

Background: The food consumption assessment is necessary to monitor elderly’s nutritional status because it allows detecting nutrition deficits and guiding the elaboration of effective conducts. Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the global quality of the elderly’s diet in Viçosa—MG, Brazil. Methods: This is a population-based cross-sectional study, involving noninstitutionalized elderly. Diet quality was assessed through the Brazilian Healthy Eating Index-Revised (BHEI-R) validated to the Brazilian population. Results: The study comprised 620 elderly individuals. The mean total BHEI-R score was 64.28. The worse consumption scores concerned the components Whole grains, Milk and derivatives, Sodium, Total fruit, and Whole fruit. Approximately 82% scored zero (0%) for Whole grains and 67% for Sodium. Men presented significantly lower scores than women, who have presented maximal score in the same items. Women’s scores were not only significantly higher for Total fruit, Whole fruit, Milk and derivatives, but also significantly lower for Saturated fat. Discussion: Most elderly need to improve their diet quality. Strategies heading toward the improvement of diet quality must be priority in policies to health promotion toward the healthy and active aging.

Download Full-text

Comparison of Diet Quality for Pregnant and Non-pregnant Women

New Trends and Issues Proceedings on Advances Pure and Applied Sciences ◽

10.18844/gjapas.v0i8.2827 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 129-134

Author(s):

Hande Nur Onur

Keyword(s):

Pregnant Women ◽

Nutrition Education ◽

Healthy Eating ◽

Diet Quality ◽

Healthy Eating Index ◽

Foetal Development ◽

Dietary Recall ◽

Child Bearing

A woman’s nutritional status prior to and during pregnancy affects foetal development, the course of the pregnancy and her long-term health. This study aims to determine the diets of pregnant and non-pregnant women using the Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI-2010). The study was performed on 43 non-pregnant and 25 pregnant volunteers, who had no chronic diseases, took no diet treatments and had a mean age of 23.0 ± 30.1 years. Their general features were determined through a questionnaire, dietary intake was measured by 24-hour dietary recall method, diet quality was assessed by HEI-2010 and energy and nutrient intake was calculated by the Nutrition Information System programme. The diet quality of 60.3% of the participants was found to be poor, while 39.7% was average. Although pregnant women had a slightly higher HEI-2010 score, the diet quality was low for all; hence, dieticians should provide nutrition education for all child-bearing aged women. Keywords: Diet quality, healthy eating index, pregnancy nutrition.

Download Full-text