Diet quality among U.S. children aged 12 to 23 months improved modestly from 2005 to 2020, with the most significant gains observed in non-Hispanic Black children, according to a recent study.

Researchers examined trends in diet quality among U.S. children aged 12 to 23 months from 2005 to 2020. They used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Patterns Equivalents Database. The focus was on children who transitioned from human milk or infant formula to solid foods.

The cross-sectional study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, assessed dietary quality using the Healthy Eating Index-Toddlers-2020, aligning food consumption with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. Data collection involved 24-hour dietary recall interviews, where proxy respondents reported all foods and beverages consumed by children in the previous 24 hours, which were then scored with a maximum score of 100.

Results indicated a modest improvement in overall diet quality scores, increasing from a mean of 53.0 (95% confidence interval [CI], 51.0-55.1) in 2005-2006 to 56.5 (95% CI, 54.1-59.0) in 2017-2020 (P = .03 for trend). Non-Hispanic Black children showed an increase of 7.8 points (95% CI, 3.6-12.0; P < .001 for trend; P = .004 for interaction). Improvements were observed in several dietary categories, including total vegetables, whole grains, total protein foods, seafood and plant proteins, and fatty acids, with significant trends for all (e.g., difference for whole grains: 0.82 points; 95% CI, 0.21-1.43; P < .001). However, the mean score for dairy decreased from 8.40 (95% CI, 7.88-8.92) in 2005-2006 to 7.82 (95% CI, 7.40-8.23) in 2017-2020 (P = .02 for trend). Scores for moderation components remained unchanged.

The findings indicated that the overall increase in diet quality among U.S. children was below 5 points. The study noted a previously established link between lower socioeconomic status and poorer dietary quality and observed that the improvement trend was more significant among Black children compared to other groups.

The authors reported no potential conflicts of interest.