Dietary diversity is associated with children linear growth among poor Mexican children

The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between dietary diversity and linear growth in children <5y from poor rural communities of the south of Mexico.We studied a random sample of 2469 Mexican children aged 11 to 59 months from 235 rural poor communities. Height for age Z score (HAZ) was estimated. Dietary intake was calculated from a single 24 h dietary recall. Dietary diversity (DD) was based on consumption of > 10 g of 19 different food groups. A multiple regression model adjusting for socio‐demographic co‐variables (age, sex, ethnicity, maternal education and socioeconomic status (SES)) was used to evaluate association between HAZ score and dietary diversity. Animal product consumption was significantly higher as SES improved (p<0.05), staple foods consumption such as legumes and whole cereals, was significantly higher among low SES children. DD significantly increased with age (p<0.001) and declined with SES (p<0.001). Indigenous children reported a significantly less diversified diet than non indigenous (p<0.001). DD had a positive and significant association with HAZ after adjusting for co‐variables (p<0.001). Child age, maternal education and socio‐economic status, were significantly associated with HAZ score. Ethnicity was associated with a lower HAZ score (p<0.001). Dietary diversity improves child linear growth from rural poor communities of the south of Mexico.