title: Validity of the Australian Recommended Food Score as a diet quality index for Pre-schoolers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diet quality tools provide researchers with brief methods to assess the nutrient adequacy of usual dietary intake. This study describes the development and validation of a pediatric diet quality index, the Australian Recommended Food Scores for Pre-schoolers (ARFS-P), for use with children aged two to five years.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ARFS-P was derived from a 120-item food frequency questionnaire, with eight sub-scales, and was scored from zero to 73. Linear regressions were used to estimate the relationship between diet quality score and nutrient intakes, in 142 children (mean age 4 years) in rural localities in New South Wales, Australia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total ARFS-P and component scores were highly related to dietary intake of the majority of macronutrients and micronutrients including protein, β-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin A. Total ARFS-P was also positively related to total consumption of nutrient dense foods, such as fruits and vegetables, and negatively related to total consumption of discretionary choices, such as sugar sweetened drinks and packaged snacks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ARFS-P is a valid measure that can be used to characterise nutrient intakes for children aged two to five years. Further research could assess the utility of the ARFS-P for monitoring of usual dietary intake over time or as part of clinical management.
authors.forename: Tracy L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Burrows
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: Maya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guest
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan 2308, NSW, Australia. mboggess@asu.edu.
authors.forename: May M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Boggess
authors.forename: Melinda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Neve
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rollo
authors.forename: Kerith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Duncanson
authors.forename: Clare E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Collins
mesh_terms: D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D063427:Food Quality; D058870:Food, Organic; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009517:New South Wales; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D064167:Recommended Dietary Allowances; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014675:Vegetables; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D018977:Micronutrients; D019207:beta Carotene; D014801:Vitamin A; D001205:Ascorbic Acid