![]() Higher YHEI scores indicate the consumption of nutrient-dense, healthy foods and nutrition-promoting eating behaviors. The Youth HEI (YHEI) was developed to rate diet quality in children and adolescents by scoring food consumption and addressing dietary behaviors pivotal to healthy childhood and adolescent growth and development, such as eating breakfast, attending family dinners, and avoiding snack foods and soft drinks ( 16). ![]() Higher HEI scores in men and women were associated with a lower risk of CVD, but the scores were weak indicators of overall chronic disease risk ( 14, 15). However, when used to predict chronic disease in longitudinal studies, the HEI has met with mixed success. HEI scores > 80 indicate a “good” diet, scores ranging from 51 to 80 reflect a diet that “needs improvement,” and HEI scores < 51 imply a “poor” diet ( 7). HEI scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better diet quality. For example, the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) measures how closely individuals over the age of 2 y adhere to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans ( 13). Strategies to measure dietary patterns, overall diet quality, and chronic disease risks summarize comprehensive food and nutrient data into a single number or overall diet quality score ( 12). The Dietary Guidelines for Americans ( 11) are recommendations for establishing dietary patterns that promote health and reduce the risk of chronic disease in children and adults. Ethnic differences for early onset CVD and diabetes risk factors such as excessive adipose tissue, elevated systolic blood pressure, and hyperglycemia are evident in African American children as young as 6–9 y of age ( 10), indicating the importance of creating a tool to screen diet quality and chronic disease risk prior to adulthood, especially in minority children. Racial health disparities are not limited to adults. Among African Americans, 45% of men and 49% of women have CVD compared with 37% and 35% of white men and women ( 9). For example, African Americans are almost twice as likely as whites to have diabetes ( 8) and CVD remains America's leading cause of death for both African Americans and whites ( 9). National nutrition data found that African Americans had significantly lower vegetable consumption compared with whites ( 7), which may contribute to their higher rates of cancer and other chronic diseases. The cancer death rate in 2003 was 18% higher in African American women and 35% higher in African American men than in white women and men ( 6). ![]() diet high in fats and added sugars and low in micronutrients and fiber), with risk factors occurring as early as childhood ( 1– 5).Ĭhronic diseases occur disproportionately among minority populations. Although both the HEI and YHEI are useful in assessing diet quality, the HEI is inversely associated with body composition, a predictor of chronic disease, and accounts for gender differences in the Dietary Guidelines, whereas the YHEI discounts nutrient-poor, energy-dense foods.įour of the leading causes of death in the United States, cancer, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), 5 and hypertension, are related to poor diet quality (e.g. In conclusion, many adolescents were consuming diets that placed them at risk for developing chronic disease. BMI was not associated with either HEI or YHEI scores. Higher percent body/abdominal fat was associated with lower HEI scores ( r = −0.17 to −0.19 P < 0.05) but not with YHEI scores. HEI and YHEI scores were associated with higher micronutrient and total energy intakes ( r = 0.19–0.76 P < 0.05). Females (64.47 ± 11.70) had higher HEI scores than males (61.15 ± 11.61) ( P < 0.05), but there was no gender difference in YHEI scores. YHEI scores were lower than HEI scores across both adolescent samples (Challenge, 48.94 ± 9.31 vs. HEI and YHEI scores were calculated from a FFQ and compared with BMI, body composition, and micronutrient, energy, and dietary intakes. This cross-sectional study included 2 low-income, urban African American adolescent samples (Challenge, n = 196 Three Generation, n = 121). The objectives were to compare HEI and YHEI scores among adolescents at risk for chronic disease and to compare associations between the scores and health indicators. The Youth HEI (YHEI) is an adaptation of the HEI for use with children and adolescents. The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) was developed to assess diet quality. Chronic disease is related to poor diet quality.
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