Exploring the Relationship Between MyPlate Knowledge, Perceived Diet Quality, and Healthy Eating Behaviors Among Adolescents

Purpose: MyPlate is the current dietary guidance icon meant to communicate healthy eating patterns. The purpose of this study is to evaluate knowledge of MyPlate nutrition education messages among middle school students and its association with dietary intake and perceived diet quality. Design: Secondary analysis of cross-sectional data. Settings: Survey of eighth-grade students from 16 middle schools in California. Subjects: A total of 3521 eighth-grade students. Measures: MyPlate knowledge was assessed with 3 questions asking how much of the plate in a typical meal should be (1) fruits and vegetables, (2) grains, and (3) proteins. A brief food frequency questionnaire measured intake of fruits, vegetables, sweets, salty snacks, fast-food, and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) over the past 7 days. Students self-rated their diet quality as poor, fair, good, or excellent. Analysis: Hierarchical logistic regression models controlling for gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Results: Only 11% of students answered all MyPlate questions correctly. MyPlate knowledge was associated with 65% higher odds of not consuming SSBs, but 46% lower odds of not consuming sweets. MyPlate knowledge was not associated with adolescents' perceived diet quality or intake of salty snacks, fruits, or vegetables. Conclusion: Knowledge of nutrition education messages communicated by the MyPlate dietary guidance icon is limited among adolescents. The association between MyPlate knowledge and lower consumption of SSBs is encouraging, given the strong association between SSBs and childhood obesity.