Characterizing nutrient patterns of food items in adolescent diet using data from a novel citizen science project and the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)

INTRODUCTION: A healthy diet is essential for promoting good health during adolescence and mitigating disease risks in adulthood. This underscores the need for improved nutrition education and increased access to healthier food choices. However, the accuracy of dietary data poses a significant challenge in nutritional research. METHODS: We utilized and analyzed a novel dietary record dataset collected through a high school citizen science project to address this issue. We focused on nutrients rather than food groups to characterize adolescent dietary patterns. The same analyses were performed on the 2019–2021 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data for comparison. RESULTS: Based on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recommended daily value (DV) for nutrients, the majority of food items in our citizen science dataset are low (i.e., <5% DV) in lipids, fiber, potassium, calcium, iron, sugar, and cholesterol. Only a minority of items are high (i.e., >20% DV) in macro and micronutrients. The clustering analysis identified nine food clusters with distinct nutrient profiles that vary significantly in size. The analyses on the NHANES data yielded similar findings, but with higher proportions of foods high in energy, lipids, carbohydrates, sugar, iron, and sodium compared with those of the citizen science dataset. DISCUSSION: This study demonstrates the potential of citizen science projects in gathering valuable dietary data and understanding adolescent nutrient intake. Identifying critical nutrient gaps can guide targeted nutrition education and the provision of accessible healthier food options, leading to positive health outcomes during adolescence and beyond.