SynthesisNutrition journal2020
Diet quality indices and their associations with health-related outcomes in children and adolescents: an updated systematic review.
Synthesis in Nutrition journal, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 91 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
91 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Universal Subconstructs of a Healthy Diet for Children and Adolescents: A Critical Review.Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) · 2025Pooled it
- Systematic review of fruit and vegetable voucher interventions for pregnant women and families with young children.Public health nutrition · 2025Pooled it
- Diet Quality Scores, Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Current obesity reports · 2024Pooled it
- Healthy and Sustainable Dietary Patterns in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review.Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) · 2022Pooled it
- Should We 'Eat a Rainbow'? An Umbrella Review of the Health Effects of Colorful Bioactive Pigments in Fruits and Vegetables.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Pooled it
- Primary school-based food environment intervention increases diet diversity: Project Daire, a cluster randomized controlled trial.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2025Trial
- Two a Priori Dietary Indices among Young Children in the Children's Healthy Living (CHL) Trial: Validation and Association with Health Outcomes.The Journal of nutrition · 2025Trial
- Diet Quality among Pre-Adolescent African American Girls in a Randomized Controlled Obesity Prevention Intervention Trial.Nutrients · 2023Trial
- Longitudinal Changes in Healthy Eating Index-2020 Score and Impacts on Body Mass Index among Adolescents in the Growing Up Today Study: A Prospective Cohort Study.The Journal of nutrition · 2026Article
- Article
- Weight-loss practices and dietary quality in Chinese adolescents.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Healthy Diet Metrics for Children and Adolescents and Their Suitability for Global Monitoring: A Critical Review.Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) · 2026Review
- Development and Construct Validation of a Food-Based Diet Quality Score Using Image-Based Food Records.Nutrients · 2026Article
- Children's diet quality: a mixed methods study on the role of domestic food environments in influencing food access during the COVID-19 lockdown in Chile.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Evolution of Food Classification Systems and Assessing Diet Quality.Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) · 2026Article
- Infant Diet Is Associated With BMI Later in Childhood: A Nation-Wide Mother-Child Cohort Study in Iceland (ICE-MCH).Maternal & child nutrition · 2026Article
- A nonlinear association and threshold effect of healthy eating index-2015 with hypertension in US children and adolescents: a cross-sectional analysis of NHANES 1999-2020.Journal of health, population, and nutrition · 2026Article
- Nourishing minds: the connection between healthy eating and academic success in higher education.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Evaluation of the Saudi Healthy Eating Index.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- The correlation between nutrition index scores and nutrition status of preschool children in a district of Shanghai.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
31 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundTo describe a-priori diet quality indices used in children and adolescents, appraise the validity and reliability of these indices, and synthesise evidence on the relationship between diet quality and physical and mental health, and growth-related outcomes.
methodsFive electronic databases were searched until January 2019. An a-priori diet quality index was included if it applied a scoring structure to rate child or adolescent (aged 0-18-years) dietary intakes relative to dietary or nutrient guidelines. Diagnostic accuracy studies and prospective cohort studies reporting health outcomes were appraised using the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Quality Criteria Checklist.
resultsFrom 15,577 records screened, 128 unique paediatric diet quality indices were identified from 33 countries. Half of the indices' scores rated both food and nutrient intakes (n = 65 indices). Some indices were age specific: infant (< 24-months; n = 8 indices), child (2-12-years; n = 16), adolescent (13-18 years; n = 8), and child/adolescent (n = 14). Thirty-seven indices evaluated for validity and/or reliability. Eleven of the 15 indices which investigated associations with prospective health outcomes reported significant results, such as improved IQ, quality of life, blood pressure, body composition, and prevalence of metabolic syndrome.
conclusionsResearch utilising diet quality indices in paediatric populations is rapidly expanding internationally. However, few indices have been evaluated for validity, reliability, or association with health outcomes. Further research is needed to determine the validity, reliability, and association with health of frequently utilised diet quality indices to ensure data generated by an index is useful, applicable, and relevant. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO number: CRD42018107630 .
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.