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Research Project: Interplay of the Physical Environment, Social Domain, and Intrapersonal Factors on Nutrition and Physical Activity Related Health Behaviors in Children and Adolescents

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Title: Can United States adolescents accurately assess their diet quality

Author
item LANDRY, ALICIA - University Of Central Arkansas
item Walls, Tameka
item Thomson, Jessica

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/17/2022
Publication Date: 5/18/2022
Citation: Landry, A.S., Walls, T.I., Thomson, J.L. 2022. Can United States adolescents accurately assess their diet quality. Meeting Abstract. Paper No. O.2.11.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Purpose: Using a single question to assess an individual’s diet quality could reduce researcher burden when screening potential participants for dietary interventions. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine if United States (US) adolescents can accurately assess the quality of their diet. Methods: Data from two cycles of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2015-2016 and 2017-2018, were used for this study. Self-assessed diet quality was measured with a single question asking adolescents, aged 16-19 years, how healthy is their diet? The five responses included excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor. Measured diet quality was assessed using the 2015 Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015) and based on 24-hour dietary recalls. HEI-2015 total scores were categorized using a 10-point grading scale as A (90-100), B (80-89), C (70-79), D (60-69) and F (0-59). The following matches between self-assessed and measured diet quality were classified as accurate assessments: excellent=A, very good=A or B, good=B or C, fair=C or D, and poor=D or F. All others were classified as inaccurate assessments. Descriptive statistical methods for complex survey designs were used to analyze the data. Results/findings: Based on 1086 adolescents, 7%, 18%, 41%, 29%, and 6% self-assessed their diet as excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor, respectively. For measured diet quality, <1%, 1%, 3%, 11%, and 85% scored grades of A, B, C, D, and F, respectively. Overall, 12% of adolescents accurately assessed their diet quality with accuracy percentages as high as 100% in the poor self-assessment group and less than 10% in each of the other four self-assessment groups. Of the 956 adolescents who inaccurately assessed their diet quality, all but 2 overrated the healthfulness of their diet. Conclusions: In general, US adolescents cannot accurately assess the quality of their diet with the exception of those assessing the healthfulness of their diet as poor. The tendency of US adolescents to overrate their diet quality suggests that work is needed to educate adolescents about what constitutes a healthful diet with knowledge gained potentially leading to more healthful dietary intake.