Skin carotenoids measured by reflection spectroscopy correlates with vegetable intake frequency in adolescents of racial and ethnic minorities in Houston, Texas

Authors: MORAN, NANCY - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC); ONYEKWERE, ELIZABETH - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC); CEPNI, ALIYE - University Of South Carolina; LEDOUX, TRACEY - University Of Houston; KIM, HANJOE - Yonsei University; ARLINGHAUS, KATHERINE - University Of Minnesota

Submitted to: Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/12/2024
Publication Date: 11/15/2024
Citation: Moran, N.E., Onyekwere, E., Cepni, A.B., Ledoux, T.A., Kim, H., Arlinghaus, K.R. 2024. Skin carotenoids measured by reflection spectroscopy correlates with vegetable intake frequency in adolescents of racial and ethnic minorities in Houston, Texas. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 125:1037-1043. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2024.11.010.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2024.11.010

Interpretive Summary: We need better ways to measure how much fruit and vegetables (F/V) teenagers eat. One way might be to look at skin carotenoid levels, which can show how many F/V someone eats. But we need to know if this works well for all teenagers. This study checks if skin carotenoid levels (measured using a special tool) match up with how often teenagers say they eat F/V. The study focuses on minority teenagers in Houston, Texas. This study re-examines data from a project called Teens Committed to Health Through Activity, Relationships, and Good Eating. The study included 167 teenagers, mostly Hispanic (86.2%), African American (12.6%), and Asian (1.2%), aged 10 to 17. They were part of a year-long healthy living program at their school in Houston from August 2018 to August 2019. Over the year, skin carotenoid levels were measured four times using a special tool. Teenagers also answered questions about how often they ate F/V. Researchers checked if skin carotenoid levels were linked to how often teenagers said they ate F/V, adjusting for things like age, sex, and body weight. Skin carotenoid levels went up with higher reported intake of total F/V, vegetables, and orange and dark green vegetables. However, there was no strong link with fruit intake alone. How often teenagers say they eat total F/V, vegetables, and orange/green vegetables can predict their skin carotenoid levels. More research is needed to see if skin carotenoid measurement can be used to track vegetable intake in US teenagers.

Technical Abstract: Objective methods are needed to assess adolescent fruit and vegetable (F/V) intake to better evaluate interventions aimed at improving F/V intake. Skin carotenoid concentration measures provide a potential objective biomarker of F/V intake, but the plausibility and robustness must be established across adolescent populations. The objective of this study is to evaluate the relationship between pressure-mediated reflection spectroscopy-measured skin carotenoid scores (SCSs) and self-reported F/V intake frequency among US racial and ethnic minority adolescents in Houston, TX. This is a secondary analysis of data collected on adolescents participating in the randomized, controlled study Teens Committed to Health Through Activity, Relationships, and Good Eating. Participants were Hispanic (86.2%), African American (12.6%), and Asian (1.2%) adolescents (age 10 to 17 years) (N = 167) who participated in a year-long healthy lifestyles program as their physical education class in Houston, TX, from August 2018 to 2019. Over the course of a year, participants' SCSs were measured by pressure-mediated reflection spectroscopy, and self-reported F/V intake frequency was assessed using questions from the School Physical Activity and Nutrition questionnaire at 4 separate time points. The relationship between adolescent SCSs and F/V intake frequency was tested using generalized linear mixed models, controlling for body mass index z score, sex, time point, group assignment, and age. SCSs were positively predicted by self-reported intake frequencies for F/V (B = 2.398; P = .028), vegetables (B = 3.870; P =.010), and orange and dark green vegetables (B = 5.274; P = .019), with no significant relationship observed with fruit intake frequency (B = 1.151; P = .613). Self-reported total F/V (combined), vegetable, and orange and green vegetable (combined) intake frequency is a predictor of SCSs among racial and ethnic minority adolescents in Houston, TX. Skin carotenoid measurement merits further investigation as a biomarker of vegetable intake in US adolescents.