Kay Melissa C, Hampton Joel, Pac Susan, Huss Lyndsey, Eldridge Alison L
Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
J Acad Nutr Diet. 2025 Apr;125(4):463-471. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2024.08.009. Epub 2024 Aug 28.
Child diet can influence 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 to 23.9 months).
The aim of this study was to examine diet quality among toddlers participating in the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study, 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.
This cross-sectional study used 24-hour dietary records collected in 2016.
Data were collected on toddlers ages 12 to 23.9 months (N = 1133) participating in the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study, 2016.
Diet quality was assessed using the HEI-Toddlers-2020.
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 2-sided P values.
Average HEI-Toddlers-2020 score among toddlers ages 12 to 23.9 months participating in the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study, 2016, was 71.2 out of a possible 100. Total scores (mean, standard error) varied by race and ethnicity with Hispanic toddlers having higher scores compared with 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 with those <100% of the poverty level (74.7 ± 1.5 vs 67.0 ± 2.6; P = .01).
Opportunities for improvement in dietary intake were identified using the new HEI-Toddlers-2020 to assess diet quality among children ages 12 to 23.9 months. 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.
儿童饮食会影响肥胖及其他相关非传染性疾病的风险。很少有研究使用《2020年幼儿健康饮食指数》（HEI-幼儿版）来评估幼儿（12至23.9个月大的儿童）的饮食质量。
本研究旨在调查参与2016年婴幼儿喂养研究的幼儿的饮食质量，并根据社会人口学特征确定差异。同时还评估了照顾者对其幼儿饮食与《2020年幼儿健康饮食指数》饮食质量得分相符程度的看法。
这项横断面研究使用了2016年收集的24小时饮食记录。
收集了参与2016年婴幼儿喂养研究的12至23.9个月大幼儿（N = 1133）的数据。
使用《2020年幼儿健康饮食指数》评估饮食质量。
采用总体比率法对所有分析使用加权数据，以估计总体及各亚组的《2020年幼儿健康饮食指数》得分。为确定亚组间《2020年幼儿健康饮食指数》得分的显著差异，采用了成对t检验。所有双侧P值均以P <.05的统计学显著性作为临界值。
参与2016年婴幼儿喂养研究的12至23.9个月大幼儿的平均《2020年幼儿健康饮食指数》得分为71.2（满分100分）。总分（均值，标准误）因种族和族裔而异，西班牙裔幼儿的得分高于非西班牙裔白人幼儿（76.4 ± 2.5对69.0 ± 1.2；P = .03），且因联邦贫困水平而异，贫困水平高于200%的幼儿得分高于贫困水平低于100%的幼儿（74.7 ± 1.5对67.0 ± 2.6；P = .01）。
利用新的《2020年幼儿健康饮食指数》确定了12至23.9个月大儿童饮食摄入方面有待改善的地方。得分表明幼儿摄入了过量的添加糖，海鲜和植物蛋白、绿叶蔬菜和豆类、全谷物以及蔬菜的摄入量低于推荐量。改善幼儿饮食质量的干预措施可能受益于关注儿童应多吃的食物以及应适量摄入的食物。
