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ObjectiveTo develop a household-level diet quality indicator (HDQI) using the Salvadorian dietary guidelines to assess the dietary quality of households in vulnerable communities in El Salvador.DesignThe Salvadorian dietary guidelines were reviewed and eighteen HDQI components were identified (nine foods and nine nutrients). The components were evaluated using a proportional scoring system from 0 to 1, penalizing over- and under-consumption, where appropriate. The HDQI was validated in consultations with experts in El Salvador and by statistical analyses of the study sample data. Dietary variety and energy, nutrient and food intakes were compared among households above and below the median HDQI score using Student's t test.SettingVulnerable, border communities in El Salvador.SubjectsHouseholds (n 140) provided food consumption information using an FFQ and sociodemographic data.ResultsThe mean HDQI score was 63·5, ranging from 43·6 to 90·0. The indicator showed a positive, significant association with the dietary variety components. The statistical associations of the indicator with the energy and nutrient components were as expected.ConclusionsBased on the indicator's demonstrated face validity and the results of the expert consultations, the indicator is suggested as a good measure of diet quality for households in El Salvador. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to examine the dietary intake of Salvadoran households according to perceived access to healthy meals (PAHD), and to identify household characteristics associated with diet quality and PAHD. Methods: Secondary data analysis with a sample of 139 Salvadoran households from resource-poor communities in El Salvador. Chi-square tests and ANOVA were used to assess differences in dietary intake across households classified according to PAHD. Results: High-PAHD households had higher women's education, household food security levels, overall diet quality, and variety, and higher intakes of animal products, fats, cholesterol, vitamin C, and sodium (P < .05). Diet quality was not associated with the household characteristics studied. Conclusions and Implications: Overall diet quality was associated with higher levels of PAHD, but some differences in intakes were not as expected, such as higher intakes in foods and nutrients associated with low-quality diets, among high PAHD households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Dietary factors vary widely among ethnic groups. However, the effect of specific nutrients on cardiometabolic risk is not well understood, especially in children. Four dietary factors known to influence cardiometabolic risk (ie, carbohydrate, saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fat intake) were assessed by the Block Kids 2004 Food Frequency Questionnaire in a cross-sectional sample of racially diverse fourth- through eighth-grade students (n=148) in a Boston-area school district studied between January and April 2010. Fasting total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglyceride, C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels, and body mass index z scores were measured. Differences in dietary factors and cardiometabolic risk factors were examined among the following racial/ethnic groups: white (39%), Hispanic (32%), black (8%), Asian (10%), and multiracial/other (11%). In bivariate analyses, total, saturated, and polyunsaturated fat intakes differed by race/ethnicity (P<0.05), with white and black children reporting saturated fat intakes above the recommended level. Forty-seven percent of children had at least one suboptimal cardiometabolic risk factor. HDL cholesterol, triglyceride, and IL-6 concentrations differed by race/ethnicity (P<0.05, P<0.01, and P<0.01, respectively), with Hispanics having low HDL cholesterol levels and high triglyceride levels, whereas Asians had high IL-6 levels. In multivariate analyses controlling for demographic characteristics, none of the dietary factors examined explained racial/ethnic differences in lipid profiles or inflammatory markers. Body mass index z score was associated with lower HDL cholesterol, higher triglyceride, higher CRP, and higher IL-6 levels (P<0.0001). Further research is warranted to determine the influence of dietary recommendations at a young age among different racial/ethnic groups on cardiometabolic health. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]