Diet quality among preschool children of Latino migrant and seasonal farmworkers in the US

Introduction: A high quality diet for preschoolers can promote appropriate weight for height, and help children gain familiarity with a variety of foods. Children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers are at particular risk for low dietary quality due to poverty, ineligibility for some safety net benefits, and migratory lifestyle. Few data document dietary quality in this high risk population. Methods: 250 farmworker families in North Carolina with a 2-3 year old child were recruited for a prospective study of child health. This paper focuses on baseline diet. The Revised Diet Quality Index for Children (RC-DQI) was calculated from dietary intake data from 3-24 hr recalls completed by mothers using the NDSR system. The RC-DQI, based on national dietary intake recommendations, provides an overall and 13 component scores. In-depth semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 31 mothers explored constraints on family and child diet Results: The average overall score was approximately 60 of 90 possible points. Component scores were most favorable for fat-related food components, total grains, and juice consumption. Notable shortfalls were observed for fruit, vegetable, and sugar consumption. Qualitative data revealed constraints on food access. These were due to rural residence (food deserts, transportation), difficulty accessing benefits due to migration and documentation status, and limited ability to cook or store food in migrant camps. Conclusions: These data show that poor dietary quality characterizes preschoolers in this high risk and often hidden population. Policies to improve access to healthy foods need to take into account environmental and policy barriers.