TABLE 3.
Weighted correlations between mean daily intake at each study-timepoint of the 3 main Nova categories and the health eating index-2010 total and subcomponent scores
| Healthy Eating Index | Minimally Processed Foods | Processed Foods | Ultraprocessed Foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adequacy subcomponents1 | |||
| Total score | 0.40 (P < 0.001) | 0.06 (P = 0.012) | −0.39 (P < 0.001) |
| Total vegetables | 0.18 (P < 0.001) | 0.12 (P < 0.001) | −0.22 (P < 0.001) |
| Greens and beans | 0.31 (P < 0.001) | 0.06 (P = 0.002) | −0.31 (P < 0.001) |
| Total fruits | 0.29 (P < 0.001) | 0.02 (P = 0.376) | −0.28 (P < 0.001) |
| Whole fruits | 0.35 (P < 0.001) | 0.06 (P = 0.01) | −0.35 (P < 0.001) |
| Whole grains | −0.00 (P = 0.912) | 0.05 (P = 0.046) | −0.02 (P = 0.318) |
| Dairy | 0.17 (P < 0.001) | 0.00 (P = 0.852) | −0.16 (P < 0.001) |
| Total protein | 0.24 (P < 0.001) | 0.04 (P = 0.096) | −0.24 (P < 0.001) |
| Seafood and Plant Proteins | 0.15 (P < 0.001) | 0.08 (P < 0.001) | −0.18 (P < 0.001) |
| Fatty Acids | −0.13 (P < 0.001) | −0.07 (P = 0.002) | 0.16 (P < 0.001) |
| Moderation subcomponents2 | |||
| Sodium | 0.15 (P < 0.001) | −0.08 (P < 0.001) | −0.10 (P = 0.002) |
| Refined grains | 0.29 (P < 0.001) | 0.03 (P = 0.112) | −0.28 (P < 0.001) |
| Empty calories | 0.24 (P < 0.001) | 0.06 (P = 0.006) | −0.25 (P < 0.001) |
Correlations were calculated from a dataset with 2019 rows from a total of 610 children (maximum number of rows per child: 4). HEI subcomponents are interpreted such that a higher value represents a healthier diet.
1
For the 9 adequacy subcomponents, a higher value indicates higher intake of these healthy foods.
2
For the 3 moderation subcomponents, a higher value indicates a lower or more limited intake of these less healthy foods.