Dietary Quality Evidenced by the Healthy Eating Index and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Kuwaiti Schoolchildren.

Background: Poor dietary quality is associated with adiposity and other risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in children. In Kuwait, although children's food choices are a concern, no studies have evaluated dietary quality relative to the risk of CVD in Kuwaiti schoolchildren. This study hypothesized that dietary quality using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) is associated with CVD risk factors in children and that there are associated sex differences.

Sex differences in the prevalence of multiple cardiovascular disease risk factors in schoolchildren: A cross-sectional study.

Background & Aims: Childhood obesity is linked to adulthood cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and mortality. Approximately 32% of Kuwaiti children are obese, particularly boys. Data on other CVD risk factors are limited.

Reliability of the Block Kid's Food Frequency Questionnaire translated to Arabic and adapted for Kuwaiti children.

Objectives: Little is known about the nutrient intakes of Kuwaiti children; this is partly due to a lack of culture-specific dietary assessment instruments to estimate the usual food and nutrient intake of Arab children. The aim of this study was to describe the methodology used in translating the 2004 Block Kid's Food Frequency Questionnaire (Block FFQ) to Arabic using adapted food choices commonly consumed by Kuwaiti children, and to evaluate the reliability of the FFQ in a population of fifth-grade Kuwaiti children.

Methods: The 2004 Block FFQ was translated from English to Arabic, and food options were replaced with culturally appropriate foods.