Background To describe a-priori diet quality indices used in children and adolescents, appraise the validity and reliability of these indices, and synthesise evidence on the relationship between diet quality and physical and mental health, and growth-related outcomes. Methods Five electronic databases were searched until January 2019. An a-priori diet quality index was included if it applied a scoring structure to rate child or adolescent (aged 0–18-years) dietary intakes relative to dietary or nutrient guidelines. Diagnostic accuracy studies and prospective cohort studies reporting health outcomes were appraised using the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Quality Criteria Checklist. Results From 15,577 records screened, 128 unique paediatric diet quality indices were identified from 33 countries. Half of the indices’ scores rated both food and nutrient intakes (n = 65 indices). Some indices were age specific: infant (< 24-months; n = 8 indices), child (2–12-years; n = 16), adolescent (13–18 years; n = 8), and child/adolescent (n = 14). Thirty-seven indices evaluated for validity and/or reliability. Eleven of the 15 indices which investigated associations with prospective health outcomes reported significant results, such as improved IQ, quality of life, blood pressure, body composition, and prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Conclusions Research utilising diet quality indices in paediatric populations is rapidly expanding internationally. However, few indices have been evaluated for validity, reliability, or association with health outcomes. Further research is needed to determine the validity, reliability, and association with health of frequently utilised diet quality indices to ensure data generated by an index is useful, applicable, and relevant. Registration PROSPERO number: CRD42018107630.

Corrupted diet-disease knowledge and fear of food trigger suffering in patients with a history of acute diverticulitis An interpretative phenomenological analysis Malnutrition To understand the impact of dietary restrictions for the management of acute diverticulitis on patient experience. Methods Four semi-structured in-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with adult patients admitted to a public hospital in South East Queensland, Australia, for acute, uncomplicated diverticulitis treatment. All participants had experienced acute diverticulitis previously, with the first episode ranging from 6months to 30-years ago. Interviews were analyzed following the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) framework.

Influence of inpatient dietary prescription on recovery from and reoccurrence of acute, uncomplicated diverticulitis A 3-year prospective cohort study This study aims to assess the impact of restricted versus liberalized inpatient dietary prescription on recovery from and reoccurrence of acute, uncomplicated diverticulitis. The methods Prospective observational study of adult patients admitted to two metropolitan hospitals in Queensland, Australia, from 2016-2019. Hierarchical multiple linear regression was used to determine the impact of restricted versus liberalized diets on hospital length of stay (a proxy for recovery). Binomial logistic regression was used to determine the impact of restricted versus liberalized diets on 30-day and 6-month reoccurrence of diverticulitis.

No abstract