Dietary diversity and nutrient intake in children 24 to 59 months old and their association with food insecurity

Objective. To assess dietary diversity (DD) and adequacies of energy and nutrients intake of Mexican children two to four years old according to the level of food insecurity (FI) at household. Materials and methods. Information of 955 Mexican children aged 24-29 months and their households from Ensanut 2012 were included. Dietary data were obtained with a food frequency questionnaire. An index of DD and adequacies of energy and nutrients were estimated. Adjusted prevalences of DD were estimated according to the classification of FI at home using the Latin American and Caribbean Food Safety Scale. Results. Children living in severe FI had the highest proportion of low DD (53.6%) compared to those living in food security. Children with moderate and severe insecurity did not reach the recommended energy intake. Conclusion. The DD, energy and nutrients intake in Mexican children are associated to FI. It is important to improve access to foods that provide more diversity to the diet and which are difficult to obtain due to their cost.