Association of Veggie Meter-Assessed Skin Carotenoids and Dietary Intake Among Indigenous Families: The Indigenous Supported Agriculture "Go Healthy" Study.

Background: Indigenous communities have seldom been included in previous research on skin carotenoid scores (SCS) and diet. Further, little is known about familial SCS. Objectives: This study aimed to examine associations between SCS and body mass index (BMI), dietary intake among adults and children in Osage Nation, and examine associations between SCS among family members. Methods: This cross-sectional study examined SCS measured using a Veggie Meter. Adults completed a single 24-h diet recall to calculate the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015. Linear mixed modeling was used to examine associations, while accounting for family correlation. Linear regression (adjusting for age, sex, BMI, tobacco use, and season) was used to examine associations between SCS and diet. Spearman correlation were used to examine associations between SCS between household members. Results: Among the study population, 61% of adults ( Conclusions: Adult males, younger (<10 y) children, and nonobese children show higher SCS. A healthier overall diet, as measured by HEI, is associated with higher SCS in adults, while controlling for covariates. Within families, SCS between adults were correlated, indicating similar dietary intake of fruit and vegetables. Adult SCS within households is associated with young children's (<10 y) SCS, but not with that of older children (≥10 y).