The diet quality of US children remains low, with continued disparities across some socioeconomic populations, a recent study found. Researchers used 3 cycles of NHANES dietary data sets (2009‒2010, 2011‒2012, and 2013‒2014) to calculate Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015) total and component scores by use of the population ratio method for children aged 2‒18 years (n=9,000). Diet-quality scores were computed overall and by age (2‒5, 6‒11, and 12‒18 years), gender, race or ethnicity, and family poverty-to-income ratio. They found:

• The HEI-2015 total mean score for children overall was 54.9.
• As the age group increased, the total scores decreased, with the total mean score significantly higher for children in the youngest group vs the 2 older age groups.
• The total mean score was significantly lower for non-Hispanic black children compared with Mexican American children, other Hispanic children, and children of other races.
• The total mean score was significantly lower for non-Hispanic white children vs Mexican-American children.
• Notable differences in the total mean scores occurred within age and race or ethnicity classes.