Changes in Adolescent Diet Quality During the Middle to High School Transition

Determine if diet quality (1) changes during the middle to high school transition and (2) is associated with sociodemographic factors.

Observational.

Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey.

Participants (n = 112) were recruited in eighth grade and followed up in ninth grade.

Mean Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015 scores (primary outcome) were calculated from 3-day 24-hour dietary recalls in eighth and ninth grade. Sociodemographic characteristics were collected through child and parent reports. Home addresses were linked to Area Deprivation Index data.

Linear mixed-effect models determined if diet quality changed by school grade, differed by weekday vs weekend status, and was associated with sociodemographic factors.

Mean HEI-2015 was 45.0 ± 11.9 in eighth grade and remained stable in ninth grade. Mean HEI-2015 was 5.5 points lower on weekend days. Some component scores declined from eighth to ninth grade on weekend days. Most sociodemographic factors did not associate with component scores. This was consistent in eighth and ninth grade.

Adolescent diet quality is low, especially on weekend days and for adolescents from lower socioeconomic households. Interventions to improve adolescent diet quality should target specific foods that lead to poor diet quality and account for sociodemographic context.