Diet Quality, Social Determinants and Weight Status among Mauritian Children Aged 10 to 12 Years

Abstract

Diet quality may be influenced by social determinants and by weight status. The cross-sectional study investigated whether diet quality as assessed by Healthy-Eating Index-2010 differs by social determinants (gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, parent’s level of education, geographical area of residence and school type) and by weight status among children in Mauritius. A convenient sample of 212 participants was involved in the study from 6 different schools. Dietary assessment was done via a single 24HR dietary recall and diet quality was assessed by using the HEI-2010. BMI was calculated using anthropometric measurements. The overall mean HEI score was 68.6 and the majority of children were found to be undernourished though having a normal weight. Higher scores for Dairy and Empty calories were reported and lower score for Total Fruit. Geographical area of residence was the only social determinant found to affect diet quality (p=0.027) with rural residents having higher mean HEI score as compared to urban residents as per the results of an Independent Sample t-test. Weight status was not affected by any social determinants. Obese children had significantly lower HEI score than normal weight children (p=0.001). Unhealthy eating habits are highly prevalent among Mauritian children and their overall diet needs improvement.