Project Number: 6435-51000-008-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Mar 08, 2010
End Date: Mar 20, 2011

Objective:
Objective 1: Using NHANES data, examine in U.S. children; 1) dietary fat intake overall, and specifically, intake and major contributing food sources of fatty acids; 2) carbohydrate intake overall, and specifically, intake and major contributing food sources of total sugar, added sugar, and dietary fiber; and 3) prevalence of overweight according to dietary intake of total fat, fatty acids, total carbohydrate, total sugar, added sugar, and dietary fiber. Objective 2: Adapt the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Adherence Index (DGAI) for use with children by developing age-group specific indices. Compare the explanatory ability of these new indices with the existing Healthy Eating Index in terms of excess adiposity and health outcomes in U.S. children using NHANES data.

Approach:
“Childhood Dietary Intake, Dietary Guidelines Adherence, and Excess Adiposity”, will use the most recent cycles of NHANES data to retrospectively examine dietary fat and carbohydrate compositions, and associations with patterns of obesity and adverse health outcomes in U.S. children. Results from these examinations will be used to develop child-specific indices of dietary quality that assess dietary adequacy, excess and composition, and that better explain obesity and adverse health outcomes in children.