A New Index to Measure Healthy Food Diversity Better Reflects a Healthy Diet Than Traditional Measures ,2

Abstract

The recommendation to eat diverse types of foodstuffs is an internationally accepted recommendation for a healthy diet. The importance of dietary variety is based on several studies that have shown that diverse diets are accompanied by positive health outcomes. However, the definition and measurement of healthy food diversity are often criticized in the literature. Nutritional studies generally use count indices to quantify food diversity. As these measures have considerable disadvantages, several nutritionists have called for a precise definition and measurement of food diversity. This study aimed to develop a new healthy food diversity indicator. This index is based on a distribution measure mainly applied in economic and ecological studies. It considers 3 aspects important for healthy food diversity: number, distribution, and health value of consumed foods. We have validated the new index using energy-adjusted correlations with diet quality indicators. A comparison with selected traditional diversity indices revealed that the new indicator more appropriately reflected healthy food diversity.

Dietary Diversity and Its Relationship With Nutritional Status Among Adolescents and Adults in Rural India

“…However, this is a retrospective method relying on the respondent's memory and is less sensitive to measures of absolute intake of specific nutrients. Thiele and Weiss (2003), Drescher et al (2007) and Akerele and Odeniyi (2015) used Berry's index or Simpson's index, where distribution, quantity and cost of different food items consumed are taken into account. In the present study, three measures -food score, Berry's index and food frequency scores -were used to study dietary diversity.…”

Overall and within-food group diversity are associated with dietary quality in Belgium

“…Many nutritionists make a demand for a more precise definition of food diversity (27,32,33) and to develop a suitable indicator. Some authors have already tried to address this demand (34) . Furthermore, the used adequacy, moderation and balance scores were not validated as such before use in the present study.…”

Association of Dietary Variety and Diversity With Body Mass Index in US Preschool Children

“…3 First, the Berry Index (BI) score 24 for vegetables, grains, protein, dairy, and fruit was calculated. The BI score represents the proportion of different types of foods consumed within each of these food groups, and is calculated as BI = 1 -∑ s 1 2 , where s 1 is equal to the number of servings consumed within the food group divided by the number of all foods on the HSFFQ within that group.…”

“…The BI score represents the proportion of different types of foods consumed within each of these food groups, and is calculated as BI = 1 -∑ s 1 2 , where s 1 is equal to the number of servings consumed within the food group divided by the number of all foods on the HSFFQ within that group. 24 To standardize the BI scores across different food groups, a BI percentile was created comparing the child's BI for each food group with the distribution of BI scores in the analytic sample for that food group.…”