Dietary intake of adequate quality and quantity in early life is essential for healthy growth and development. This study aimed to examine the association between one-year change in growth and diet quality in preschool children in Adachi City, Tokyo, Japan. A total of 110 participants (49% boys, four to five years old at baseline) were included in this analysis. Body mass index for age z-score (BAZ) and height for age z-score (HAZ) were calculated in accordance with WHO reference. Dietary intakes were assessed using the brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire for children (BDHQ3y), and daily quality score was calculated based on the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top (JFGST score). Regression analyses found no significant association between one-year change in growth and diet quality (compared to a low JFGST score, BAZ: β = 0.16, 95% CI: -0.29 to 0.60 for a middle JFGST score, β = -0.14, 95% CI: -0.61 to 0.33 for a high JFGST score, HAZ: β = -0.15, 95% CI: -0.50 to 0.21 for a middle JFGST score, β = -0.06, 95% CI: -0.43 to 0.30 for a high JFGST score). Further studies are needed to develop an appropriate diet quality index for healthy growth in Japanese preschool children.
Keywords: Japan; Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top score (JFGST score); brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire (BDHQ); child growth; diet quality; preschool children.