Development and implications of a revised Canadian Healthy Eating Index (HEIC-2009).
OBJECTIVE
The purpose was to update the Healthy Eating Index-C (HEI-C) with Canada's new food guide recommendations (HEIC-2009) and compare scores and ratings among a small sample of grade 6 students.


METHODS
Updates to the HEI-C were completed with Canada's new food guide recommendations for daily number of servings. HEI-C and HEIC-2009 scores were computed for a small sample (n 405) of grade 6 students utilizing nutrition data that were collected using the Food Behaviour Questionnaire, a validated web-based dietary assessment tool (including a 24 h dietary recall, FFQ, and food and physical activity behavioural questions).


METHODS
Data were collected in fifteen schools in the Region of Waterloo District School Board, Ontario, Canada.


METHODS
A total of 405 students (48 % males and 52 % females) from grade 6 classrooms completed the web-based survey.


RESULTS
The index scores revealed that participants scored higher (74.5 v. 69.6, P < 0.001) using the HEIC-2009 compared with the HEI-C, even though both index scores are rated in the 'needs improvement' category (HEIC-2009, 75 %; HEI-C, 71 %). A small group of participants (n 14), who were previously rated (using the HEI-C) in the 'poor' category, were rated in the 'needs improvement' category using the HEIC-2009 (chi2 = 589.647, df = 4, P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The HEIC-2009 has the potential to be used as a population-level diet quality index in Canada.
Woodruff
Sarah J
SJ
Department of Kinesiology, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada. woodruff@uwindsor.ca
Hanning
Rhona M
RM
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004034:Diet Surveys; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009864:Ontario; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*