title: Examination of the five comparable component scores of the diet quality indexes HEI-2005 and RC-DQI using a nationally representative sample of 2-18 year old children: NHANES 2003-2006.
abstract: Obesity has been associated with low diet quality and the suboptimal intake of food groups and nutrients. Two composite diet quality measurement tools are appropriate for Americans 2-18 years old: the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) 2005 and the Revised Children's Diet Quality Index (RC-DQI). The five components included in both indexes are fruits, vegetables, total grains, whole grains, and milk/dairy. Component scores ranged from 0 to 5 or 0 to 10 points with lower scores indicating suboptimal intake. To allow direct comparisons, one component was rescaled by dividing it by 2; then, all components ranged from 0 to 5 points. The aim of this study was to directly compare the scoring results of these five components using dietary data from a nationally representative sample of children (NHANES 2003-2006, N = 5,936). Correlation coefficients within and between indexes showed less internal consistency in the HEI; age- and ethnic-group stratified analyses indicated higher sensitivity of the RC-DQI. HEI scoring was likely to dichotomize the population into two groups (those with 0 and those with 5 points), while RC-DQI scores resulted in a larger distribution of scores. The scoring scheme of diet quality indexes for children results in great variation of the outcomes, and researchers must be aware of those effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition Science, Purdue University, 204 Stone Hall, 700 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
authors.forename: Sibylle
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kranz
authors.forename: George P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: McCabe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003611:Dairy Products; D004032:Diet; D004435:Eating; D002523:Edible Grain; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D058870:Food, Organic; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States; D014675:Vegetables