Toddler diet quality: a factor associated with childhood growth?
Authors' conclusion
Higher toddler diet quality is associated with reduced odds of central obesity in later childhood.
Study context
- Population
- Children from the Upstate KIDS cohort; toddler diet reported by mothers at 2.5 and 3 years, growth assessed at 7 to 9 years52.0% male
- Participants
- 1,322 children
- Exposure
- Toddler diet quality
- Outcome
- HAZ, WAZ, BMIZ z-scores, waist circumference, obesity and central obesity
- Follow-up
- 7- to 9-years
Methodological detailsmixed effects models, adjusted for maternal and child covariates
- Mixed effects models
- Adjusted for maternal and child covariates
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Central obesity, per five-unit YHEI increase
aOR of developing central obesity per five-unit Youth Healthy Eating Index (YHEI) increase
0.74
95% CI 0.56, 0.98
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
YHEI score in toddlerhood · 2.5- and 3-years
- Mean YHEI score in toddlerhood (mean ± SD; range 0-65)
- 44.4 ± 8.52
Original publication
Toddler diet quality: a factor associated with childhood growth? Int J Obes (Lond). Published 18 July 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →