The objective of this cross-sectional study was to examine the construct validity of an adapted modified Diet Quality Index (aDQI) as a measure of the healthfulness of food-related toy sets for young children (3-8 years). A standardized online search was used to identify toy sets (n = 50) from 10 retailers. An aDQI score (aDQI score, range 0-50) was determined for each toy set, mean (standard deviation) = 28.7 (6.1). Regression analyses demonstrated a positive association between aDQI score and percentage of dairy, refined grains, protein, vegetables, and fruit and inverse association with percentage of desserts, sugar-sweetened beverages, and total number of servings. Sets contained more protein and fewer fruits than recommended. The aDQI score demonstrates construct validity to objectively assess the healthfulness of food-related toy sets. There is opportunity for toy manufacturers to make changes to improve the healthfulness in toy sets for young children, and future research can explore the impact of food-related toy sets on nutrition behaviors.
Keywords: child nutrition; diet quality; food-related toys; pretend play; young children.