title: Diet quality among Iranian adolescents needs improvement.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Diet in adolescence is important not only because of adolescents' rapid growth but also due to its influence on future chronic diseases. On the other hand, dietary quality indices are noteworthy and useful approaches to evaluate dietary intakes. Thus the present study was conducted to assess dietary quality indices in adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional. Settings The data were collected from schools in Isfahan, Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  Female students (n 265) aged 11-13 years were enrolled using systematic cluster-random sampling in Isfahan (Iran). Dietary intakes were assessed by a validated FFQ. Diet quality indices including dietary diversity score (DDS), the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) and mean adequacy ratio (MAR) across ten nutrients were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean DDS, HEI score and MAR were 6.15 (sd 1.61) out of 10 points, 63.90 (sd 19.86) out of 100 points and 1.32 (sd 0.61), respectively. Mean nutrient adequacy ratio of all nutrients was above 1 except for vitamin D (0.53 (sd 0.51)). Those in the highest tertile of DDS had the most favourable anthropometric variables in comparison to the lowest tertile. There were no significant associations between HEI score and BMI, central or abdominal obesity and blood pressure. Those in the highest tertile of MAR had higher BMI, waist circumference and hip circumference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diet quality of Isfahani adolescents needs improvement. It may imply the necessity of implementing nutritional instructive policies in this age group and their parents.
authors.affiliation: 1Food Security Research Center,Isfahan University of Medical Sciences,Isfahan,Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Azadbakht
authors.affiliation: 1Food Security Research Center,Isfahan University of Medical Sciences,Isfahan,Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: Fahime
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Akbari
authors.affiliation: 1Food Security Research Center,Isfahan University of Medical Sciences,Isfahan,Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Esmaillzadeh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000886:Anthropometry; D015992:Body Mass Index; D049628:Body Size; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D005502:Food / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D020380:Needs Assessment; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status
keywords: Healthy Eating Index