{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]],"date-time":"2026-06-11T05:01:03Z","timestamp":1781154063868,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]],"date-time":"2026-06-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1781136000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Nutr."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The Dietary Variety Score (DVS) is a simple indicator of dietary variety widely used in Japan, particularly among older adults. However, its applicability to younger populations remains uncertain, and some components\u2014most notably \u201cfats and oils\u201d\u2014may not fully reflect current nutritional priorities, including the promotion of whole grains for the prevention of noncommunicable diseases. We developed an Alternative Dietary Variety Score (ADVS) and examined whether the original and alternative scores capture food group and nutrient intake, as well as nutrient adequacy, among women across different life stages.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The cross-sectional study included 4,227 young (mean age 18.2\u202fyears), 3,562 middle-aged (47.8\u202fyears), and 1,655 older (74.6\u202fyears) Japanese women. Dietary intake was assessed using a comprehensive Diet History Questionnaire for young and middle-aged women and a brief-type Diet History Questionnaire for older women. The DVS was calculated based on the weekly consumption frequency of ten food groups, assigning one point for each food group consumed at least once per day. The ADVS retained the original scoring framework but replaced \u201cfats and oils\u201d with \u201cwhole grains.\u201d Associations with food groups and nutrient intake were examined using Spearman\u2019s rank correlation coefficients, and nutrient adequacy was evaluated based on the Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Both DVS and ADVS were positively associated with the intake of vegetables, fruits, fish and shellfish, eggs, soy products, dairy, seaweeds, and potatoes. The ADVS additionally reflected whole-grain consumption, while correlations with fats and oils were attenuated. Both scores were positively correlated with intakes of protein, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals across age groups. Higher scores were associated with a lower prevalence of inadequate nutrient intake across all age groups. The ADVS showed somewhat higher correlations with dietary fiber, vitamins B\n                      <jats:sub>1<\/jats:sub>\n                      , B\n                      <jats:sub>2<\/jats:sub>\n                      and B\n                      <jats:sub>6<\/jats:sub>\n                      , and calcium, iron, and magnesium.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Both the DVS and ADVS are useful proxies of nutrient adequacy among young, middle-aged, and older Japanese women. The ADVS additionally reflected whole-grain consumption and showed a different pattern of correlations with several nutrients, suggesting that incorporating whole grains into a dietary variety index may provide an alternative perspective on dietary variety while maintaining simplicity.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fnut.2026.1848503","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]],"date-time":"2026-06-11T04:36:40Z","timestamp":1781152600000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["An alternative dietary variety score reflects nutrient adequacy across different life stages in Japanese women"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Yuko","family":"Tateishi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Food Sciences and Technologies, Ajinomoto Co., Inc.","place":["Tokyo, Kanagawa, Japan"]},{"name":"Department of Nutritional Epidemiology and Behavioural Nutrition, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo","place":["Tokyo, Japan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hidehiro","family":"Nakamura","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nutritional Epidemiology and Behavioural Nutrition, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo","place":["Tokyo, Japan"]},{"name":"Research Institute for Bioscience Products & Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc.","place":["Tokyo, Kanagawa, Japan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ryoko","family":"Tajima","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nutritional Epidemiology and Behavioural Nutrition, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo","place":["Tokyo, Japan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Naoki","family":"Hayashi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nutritional Epidemiology and Behavioural Nutrition, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo","place":["Tokyo, Japan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kentaro","family":"Murakami","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Social and Preventive Epidemiology, School of Public Health, The University of Tokyo","place":["Tokyo, Japan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hitomi","family":"Okubo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nutritional Epidemiology and Behavioural Nutrition, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo","place":["Tokyo, Japan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1659","DOI":"10.1093\/advances\/nmab009","article-title":"Dietary diversity indicators and their associations with dietary adequacy and health outcomes: a systematic scoping review","volume":"12","author":"Verger","year":"2021","journal-title":"Adv Nutr"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"515","DOI":"10.1093\/nutrit\/nuz017","article-title":"Diet quality indices for research in low-and middle-income countries: a systematic review","volume":"77","author":"Trijsburg","year":"2019","journal-title":"Nutr Rev"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"102","DOI":"10.1186\/s40795-025-01085-3","article-title":"Association between dietary diversity and healthy aging: a systematic review","volume":"11","author":"Molani-Gol","year":"2025","journal-title":"BMC Nutr"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5113","DOI":"10.3390\/nu15245113","article-title":"Usual nutrient intake distribution and prevalence of nutrient intake inadequacy among Japanese children and adults: a Nationwide study based on 8-day dietary records","volume":"15","author":"Shinozaki","year":"2023","journal-title":"Nutrients"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3161","DOI":"10.1007\/s00394-023-03219-4","article-title":"Micronutrient intakes in the Dutch diet: foods, fortified foods and supplements in a cross sectional study","volume":"62","author":"Bird","year":"2023","journal-title":"Eur J Nutr"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2542","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2016.7491","article-title":"Dietary intake among us adults, 1999-2012","volume":"315","author":"Rehm","year":"2016","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"key":"ref7","first-page":"1117","article-title":"Effects of dietary variety on declines in high-level functional capacity in elderly people living in a community","volume":"50","author":"Kumagai","year":"2003","journal-title":"Nihon Koshu Eisei Zasshi"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"641","DOI":"10.3390\/nu13020641","article-title":"Low dietary variety and diabetes mellitus are associated with frailty among community-dwelling older Japanese adults: a cross-sectional study","volume":"13","author":"Hayakawa","year":"2021","journal-title":"Nutrients"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"451","DOI":"10.1007\/s12603-018-1000-1","article-title":"Frailty severity and dietary variety in Japanese older persons: a cross-sectional study","volume":"22","author":"Motokawa","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Nutr Health Aging"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"30","DOI":"10.14283\/jfa.2021.49","article-title":"Associations between dietary variety and frailty in community-dwelling older people who live alone: gender differences","volume":"12","author":"Yokoro","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Frailty Aging"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"54","DOI":"10.1111\/ggi.12674","article-title":"Relationships between sarcopenia and household status and locomotive syndrome in a community-dwelling elderly women in J apan","volume":"17","author":"Momoki","year":"2017","journal-title":"Geriatr Gerontol Int"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"123","DOI":"10.3892\/br.2024.1811","article-title":"Association between dietary variety status and sarcopenia as defined by the Asian working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 consensus in older outpatients at a hospital specializing in geriatric medicine: a cross-sectional study with baseline data of prospective cohort study (Justice-Tokyo study)","volume":"21","author":"Asaoka","year":"2024","journal-title":"Biomed Rep"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"896","DOI":"10.1007\/s12603-019-1238-2","article-title":"Score-based and nutrient-derived dietary patterns are associated with depressive symptoms in community-Dwellingolder Japanese: a cross-sectional study","volume":"23","author":"Yokoyama","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Nutr Health Aging"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"665","DOI":"10.11236\/jph.21-136","article-title":"Development and evaluation of a modified version of the dietary variety score for community-dwelling older adults","volume":"69","author":"Yokoyama","year":"2022","journal-title":"Nihon Koshu Eisei Zasshi"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"353","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.i2716","article-title":"Whole grain consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, Cancer, and all cause and cause specific mortality: systematic review and dose-response Meta-analysis of prospective studies","volume":"353","author":"Aune","year":"2016","journal-title":"BMJ"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"668","DOI":"10.1080\/09637486.2020.1715354","article-title":"Whole grain consumption and human health: an umbrella review of observational studies","volume":"71","author":"Tieri","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int J Food Sci Nutr"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100377","DOI":"10.1016\/j.lanwpc.2021.100377","article-title":"Toward a third term of health Japan 21-implications from the rise in non-communicable disease burden and highly preventable risk factors","volume":"21","author":"Nomura","year":"2022","journal-title":"Lancet Reg Health West Pac"},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"164","DOI":"10.1186\/1475-2891-12-164","article-title":"High protein intake is associated with low prevalence of frailty among old Japanese women: a multicenter cross-sectional study","volume":"12","author":"Kobayashi","year":"2013","journal-title":"Nutr J"},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"203","DOI":"10.2188\/jea.8.203","article-title":"Self-administered diet history questionnaire developed for health education: a relative validation of the test-version by comparison with 3-day diet record in women","volume":"8","author":"Sasaki","year":"1998","journal-title":"J Epidemiol"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1200","DOI":"10.1017\/S1368980011000504","article-title":"Comparison of relative validity of food group intakes estimated by comprehensive and brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaires against 16 D dietary Records in Japanese Adults","volume":"14","author":"Kobayashi","year":"2011","journal-title":"Public Health Nutr"},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"151","DOI":"10.2188\/jea.JE20110075","article-title":"Both comprehensive and brief self-administered diet history questionnaires satisfactorily rank nutrient intakes in Japanese adults","volume":"22","author":"Kobayashi","year":"2012","journal-title":"J Epidemiol"},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1220S","DOI":"10.1093\/ajcn\/65.4.1220S","article-title":"Adjustment for total energy intake in epidemiologic studies","volume":"65","author":"Willett","year":"1997","journal-title":"Am J Clin Nutr"},{"key":"ref23","year":"2025"},{"key":"ref24","volume-title":"Guidelines on Food Fortification with Micronutrients","author":"Allen","year":"2006"},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e41","DOI":"10.1017\/jns.2016.36","article-title":"Development of a food-based diet quality score for Japanese: associations of the score with nutrient intakes in young, middle-aged and older Japanese women","volume":"5","author":"Kuriyama","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Nutr Sci"},{"key":"ref26","volume-title":"Institute of Medicine (US) Subcommittee on Interpretation and Uses of Dietary Reference Intakes Institute of Medicine (US) Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes DRI Dietary Reference Intakes: Applications in Dietary Assessment","year":"2000"},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"171","DOI":"10.11236\/jph.67.3_171","article-title":"Food diversity and its relationship with nutrient intakes and meal days involving staple foods, Main dishes, and side dishes in community-dwelling elderly adults","volume":"67","author":"Narita","year":"2020","journal-title":"Nihon Koshu Eisei Zasshi"},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100200","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ahr.2024.100200","article-title":"Dietary variety and nutrient intake among Japanese community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study","volume":"4","author":"Kimura","year":"2024","journal-title":"AHR"},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"97","DOI":"10.6133\/apjcn.2016.25.2.04","article-title":"Differential dietary habits among 570 young underweight Japanese women with and without a desire for thinness: a comparison with Normal weight counterparts","volume":"25","author":"Mori","year":"2016","journal-title":"Asia Pac J Clin Nutr"},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2618","DOI":"10.1017\/S1368980020001202","article-title":"Frequency of meals that includes staple, main and side dishes and nutrient intake: findings from the 2012 National Health and nutrition survey, Japan","volume":"24","author":"Ishikawa-Takata","year":"2021","journal-title":"Public Health Nutr"},{"key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"413","DOI":"10.3390\/nu10040413","article-title":"On your own: older adults\u2019 food choice and dietary habits","volume":"10","author":"Whitelock","year":"2018","journal-title":"Nutrients"},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"312","DOI":"10.1186\/s12967-025-06311-x","article-title":"Gender differences in eating habits and sports preferences across age groups: a cross-sectional study","volume":"23","author":"Gorini","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Transl Med"},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1899","DOI":"10.3390\/nu14091899","article-title":"Food choice values and food literacy in a Nationwide sample of Japanese adults: associations with sex, age, and body mass index","volume":"14","author":"Murakami","year":"2022","journal-title":"Nutrients"},{"key":"ref34","first-page":"555","article-title":"Nutritional adequacy of four dietary patterns defined by cluster analysis in Japanese women aged 18-20 years","volume":"19","author":"Okubo","year":"2010","journal-title":"Asia Pac J Clin Nutr"},{"key":"ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"748","DOI":"10.1038\/s41440-022-00888-2","article-title":"Dietary salt intake in Japan - past, present, and future","volume":"45","author":"Tsuchihashi","year":"2022","journal-title":"Hypertens Res"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Nutrition"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fnut.2026.1848503\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]],"date-time":"2026-06-11T04:36:46Z","timestamp":1781152606000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fnut.2026.1848503\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]]},"references-count":35,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fnut.2026.1848503"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fnut.2026.1848503","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-861X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-861X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]]},"article-number":"1848503"}}