Total dietary scores improved for US children from 2005 to 2020, with increases for all diet adequacy components, apart from dairy, according to a research letter published in JAMA Pediatrics. Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study to examine trends in diet quality between 2005 to 2006 and 2017 to 2020 among US children aged 12 to 23 months who were no longer receiving human milk or infant formula. Data were included from 1,404 children (mean age, 17.6 months). Overall, total scores of dietary quality improved from a mean of 53.0 to 56.5 from 2005-2006 to 2017-2020 (an increase of 3.5). Among non-Hispanic Black children, this trend was consistent and stronger (an increase of 7.8 points). Individual scores increased among most diet adequacy components, including total vegetables, whole grains, total protein foods, seafood and plant proteins, and fatty acids, with significant findings for all trends. However, the study team noted a decrease in the mean score of dairy (0.58-point decrease). The researchers observed similar findings in sensitivity analyses performed after adjustment for race/ethnicity and sex.
