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Background: Women's Dietary Diversity Score (WDDS) is an indicator of dietary diversity, a key component of diet quality in women of reproductive age (WRA). Limited information is available regarding its applicability in other population groups. Objective: To examine the ability of the Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W) of 5-food groups cutoff to predict micronutrient adequacy in men and women 15 to 65 years old from 8 Latin American countries. Methods: We used a 24-hour recall from 9216 participants in the Latin American Study on Nutrition and Health (ELANS) to determine Dietary Diversity Score (DDS) based on the consumption of 10 food groups. The Mean Probability of Adequacy (MPA) was associated with DDS for the overall sample, for men, WRA, and women of nonreproductive age (WNRA). Sensitivity and specificity analyses were performed to determine if the 5-food groups cutoff point for MDD can be used to correctly identify men, WRA, and WNRA with adequate micronutrient adequacy (MPA ≥ 0.70). Results: We found a mean DDS of 4.78 ± 1.33 and an MPA of 0.64 ± 0.16, with 59% of participants showing a diverse diet (DDS ≥ 5). The 5-food groups-cutoff point showed a better balance between sensitivity and specificity predicting an MPA ≥0.70 in men, WRA, and WNRA. MPA was significantly associated with DDS in WRA and for men and WNRA, as well. Conclusion: The 5-food group MDD, originally intended to be used in WRA, performed equally well in predicting MPA ≥0.70 in men, WRA, and WNRA, and can be used as a proxy of micronutrient adequacy in Latin American population. Plain language title: Assessment of the FAO Minimum Dietary Diversity Index to Estimate Micronutrients Intake in Urban Cities of 8 Latin America Countries Plain language summary: The Women's Dietary Diversity Score (WDDS) proposed by the Food and Agriculture Organization is an indicator that measures the variety of foods consumed by women of reproductive age (WRA), and it has been reported in several studies that the more diverse the diet, the greater the probability of meeting micronutrients requirements. This indicator has not been validated in other population, but few studies have been conducted in the Latin American region. So, we aimed to investigate whether the Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W) established for WRA could also predict sufficient micronutrient intake in men and women aged 15 to 65 years in the Latin American population. To accomplish this objective, we used data from the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (Estudio Latino Americano de Nutrición y Salud—ELANS) that collected dietary data from 24-h recalls from 9216 participants and analyzed the association between DDS and the Mean Probability of Adequacy (MPA). Additionally, we determined if the MDD cutoff point could correctly identify individuals with appropriate vitamin and mineral intake. We found that the overall mean DDS was 4.78 ± 1.33, the MPA was 0.64 ± 0.16, and approximately 59% of participants had a diverse diet. The MDD of 5-food groups cutoff point was demonstrated to be useful in predicting sufficient micronutrient intake for men, WRA, and women over 50 years. Respondents with a DDS ≥5 had higher micronutrient adequacy. These findings suggest that DDS can serve as a proxy for assessing micronutrient adequacy in urban populations beyond WRA. The effect of promoting diverse diets on micronutrient adequacy as part of intervention programs can be captured by the DDS in urban Latin American populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Latin American countries have shifted from traditional diets rich in micronutrients to a Westernized diet rich in high energy-dense foods and low in micronutrients. Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of adequate micronutrient intakes in urban populations of 8 Latin American countries. Method: Micronutrient dietary intake data were collected from September 2014 to August 2015 from 9216 men and women aged 15.0 to 65.0 years living in urban populations of 8 Latin American countries. Dietary intake was collected using two 24-hour recalls on nonconsecutive days. Micronutrient adequacy of intake was calculated using the Estimated Average Requirement cut-off method. Results: In general terms, the prevalence of inadequate intake of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folate, cobalamin, iron, phosphorus, copper, and selenium ranged from 0.4% to 9.9%. In contrast, the prevalence of inadequacy of pyridoxine, zinc, vitamin C, and vitamin A ranged from 15.7% to 51.5%. The nutrients with a critical prevalence of inadequacy were magnesium (80.5%), calcium (85.7%), and vitamin D (98.2%). The highest prevalence of inadequate intakes was observed in the low educational level, participants with overweight/obesity, in men, and varies according to socioeconomic status. Conclusions: There is an urgent need to define direct regional actions and strategies in Latin America aimed at improving micronutrient adequacy, either through staple food fortification programs, agronomic biofortification, or food policies that facilitate economic access to micronutrient-rich foods. Plain language title: Description of the Vitamin and Mineral Consumption Status in Urban Cities of Latin America: Results of the Latin American Health and Nutrition Study. Plain language summary: Vitamins and minerals are essential for maintaining good health. However, traditional Latin American diets are changing to include foods that have a lot of sugar and fat but fewer vitamins and minerals. This study was designed to analyze the consumption of these nutrients in urban cities of 8 Latin American countries. We collected food consumption information from September 2014 to August 2015 from 9216 men and women between 15 and 65 years old using a method called 24-hour recall. To find out if participants were consuming the necessary daily amounts of vitamins and minerals, intakes were compared with the daily recommended amounts suggested by the Institutes of Medicine of the United States. We found that Latin American urban populations consume fewer vitamins and minerals than recommended. In some cases, few people do not consume the required amounts of vitamins and minerals, but in other cases, many do not. For example, few do not consume enough thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folate, cobalamin, iron, phosphorus, copper, and selenium. However an intermediate number of people do not consume enough pyridoxine and zinc, a high number consume little vitamin C and vitamin A, and many people consume very little magnesium, calcium, and vitamin D. We found that the people who consume fewer vitamins and minerals are mostly males, overweight/obese, have lower education and varies according to their financial resources. A deficient intake of vitamins and minerals showed up in most age groups, from adolescence to adulthood. To improve vitamins and minerals intake, it is important that some foods that are frequently eaten are fortified or that the price of foods that are high in vitamins and minerals is lowered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]