{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,3]],"date-time":"2026-09-03T05:16:49Z","timestamp":1788412609183,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788220800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003141","name":"CONACYT-M\u00e9xico","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["Fronteras de la Ciencia #2016-01-1883"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Fronteras de la Ciencia #2016-01-1883"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003141","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100007482","name":"Arizona State University","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["Program for Transborder Communities Seed Grant, School of Transborder Studies, Arizona State University"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Program for Transborder Communities Seed Grant, School of Transborder Studies, Arizona State University"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100007482","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"award":["Program for Transborder Communities Seed Grant, School of Transborder Studies, Arizona State University"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Program for Transborder Communities Seed Grant, School of Transborder Studies, Arizona State University"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03efmqc40","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Diet quality among Mexican-born immigrant women may be influenced by food security (FS) and neighborhood food environment factors; however, these relationships remain understudied. This exploratory study examined differences in diet quality\/dietary outcomes by FS status and explored the potential for perceived neighborhood food availability to modify the association between FS and diet quality. Methods: Mexican-born immigrant women (n = 57) self-reported FS, diet, and perceived neighborhood food availability. Diet was assessed using the Southwest Food Frequency Questionnaire to calculate the Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2020) score. The six-item USDA FS Scale was used to dichotomize FS as high or low. Independent t-tests assessed differences in HEI-2020; fast-food frequency; and intake of fruit, vegetables, salty snacks, and sugar by FS status. An exploratory regression analysis examined whether perceived food availability modified the association between FS and diet quality using complementary Bayesian techniques to improve efficiency given the small sample size. Results: Women experiencing low FS had lower HEI-2020 than those with high FS (62 \u00b1 8 vs. 66 \u00b1 6; p = 0.03), as well as non-significantly lower intakes of fruit (236 \u00b1 178 vs. 294 \u00b1 239 g), vegetables (303 \u00b1 188 vs. 331 \u00b1 199 g), and salty snacks (6 \u00b1 5 vs. 8 \u00b1 10 g) and higher intakes of sugar (99 \u00b1 55 vs. 96 \u00b1 56 g) and fast food (2.5 \u00b1 2.5 vs. 1.8 \u00b1 1.7 times\/month). No statistically significant evidence of the perceived neighborhood food availability modifying the association between FS and diet quality was observed. Exploratory analysis suggested that among women experiencing low FS, HEI-2020 score varied by perceived neighborhood food availability (low: 57; moderate: 61; high: 65; p = 0.077). Bayesian analyses suggested a greater impact of perceived neighborhood food availability among women with low FS and lower diet quality. Conclusions: In this small sample of Mexican-born women, low FS was associated with lower diet quality. Although evidence of effect modification by perceived neighborhood food availability was not observed, exploratory findings suggest that it may influence diet quality among women experiencing low FS and warrant investigation in larger studies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu18172857","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T08:31:13Z","timestamp":1788251473000},"page":"2857","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Diet Quality, Food Security Among Mexican-Born Women and Their Associations with Perceived Neighborhood Food Environment"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8338-4692","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Adriana","family":"Verdezoto Alvarado","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, 500 N 3rd St, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA"},{"name":"Department of Individual, Family, and Community Education, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87107, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"project-administration","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1912-0702","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Berenice","family":"Ochoa Nogales","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, 500 N 3rd St, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"project-administration","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2011-3294","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Juana Mar\u00eda","family":"Mel\u00e9ndez Torres","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Coordinaci\u00f3n de Desarrollo Regional, Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n en Alimentaci\u00f3n y Desarrollo, A. C., Carretera Gustavo Enrique Astiazar\u00e1n Rosas No. 46, La Victoria, Hermosillo, Sonora 83304, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7687-6039","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luis","family":"Huesca Reynoso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Coordinaci\u00f3n de Desarrollo Regional, Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n en Alimentaci\u00f3n y Desarrollo, A. C., Carretera Gustavo Enrique Astiazar\u00e1n Rosas No. 46, La Victoria, Hermosillo, Sonora 83304, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-2867-7816","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maureen","family":"McCoy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, 500 N 3rd St, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8089-0725","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sonia","family":"Vega-L\u00f3pez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, 500 N 3rd St, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"resources","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"project-administration","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"funding-acquisition","vocabulary":"credit"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"U.S. Census Bureau (2026, August 04). Hispanic Heritage Month: 2023, Available online: https:\/\/www.census.gov\/newsroom\/facts-for-features\/2023\/hispanic-heritage-month.html."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Rabbitt, M., Smith, M., and Coleman-Jensen, A. (2026, August 04). Food Insecurity and Hispanic Diversity, Available online: https:\/\/www.ers.usda.gov\/amber-waves\/2016\/july\/food-insecurity-and-hispanic-diversity\/."},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"(2026, August 04). American Immigration Council Immigrants in the United States. Available online: https:\/\/www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S52","DOI":"10.1016\/j.acap.2016.01.015","article-title":"Beyond Income Poverty: Measuring Disadvantage in Terms of Material Hardship and Health","volume":"16","author":"Neckerman","year":"2016","journal-title":"Acad. Pediatr."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1943","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jand.2014.06.353","article-title":"Food Insecurity Is Inversely Associated with Diet Quality of Lower-Income Adults","volume":"114","author":"Leung","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Acad. Nutr. Diet."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"190","DOI":"10.1016\/j.advnut.2022.12.001","article-title":"The Determinants of Food Insecurity Among Hispanic\/Latinx Households With Young Children: A Narrative Review","volume":"14","author":"Varela","year":"2023","journal-title":"Adv. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_7","unstructured":"United States Department of Agriculture (2012). U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module: Six-Item Short Form, United States Department of Agriculture."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1991","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jand.2017.09.027","article-title":"Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Food Insecurity in the United States","volume":"117","author":"Holben","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Acad. Nutr. Diet."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"54","DOI":"10.1007\/s13668-016-0153-y","article-title":"The Relationship between Food Insecurity, Dietary Patterns, and Obesity","volume":"5","author":"Morales","year":"2016","journal-title":"Curr. Nutr. Rep."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"876","DOI":"10.1016\/j.healthplace.2010.04.013","article-title":"Disparities and Access to Healthy Food in the United States: A Review of Food Deserts Literature","volume":"16","author":"Walker","year":"2010","journal-title":"Health Place"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"850","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajcnut.2023.12.019","article-title":"Food Insecurity, Neighborhood Food Environment, and Health Disparities: State of the Science, Research Gaps and Opportunities","volume":"119","author":"Brown","year":"2024","journal-title":"Am. J. Clin. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"143","DOI":"10.1002\/oby.23033","article-title":"Household Food Insecurity, Diet Quality, and Obesity: An Explanatory Model","volume":"29","author":"Keenan","year":"2021","journal-title":"Obesity"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1016\/j.healthplace.2012.05.006","article-title":"The Local Food Environment and Diet: A Systematic Review","volume":"18","author":"Caspi","year":"2012","journal-title":"Health Place"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"505","DOI":"10.1007\/s12571-015-0455-8","article-title":"The Food Environment, Its Effects on Dietary Consumption, and Potential for Measurement within Agriculture-Nutrition Interventions","volume":"7","author":"Herforth","year":"2015","journal-title":"Food Secur."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"599","DOI":"10.1007\/s00038-011-0276-2","article-title":"Perceptions of the Food Environment Are Associated with Fast-Food (Not Fruit-and-Vegetable) Consumption: Findings from Multi-Level Models","volume":"57","author":"Lucan","year":"2012","journal-title":"Int. J. Public Health"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"249","DOI":"10.1016\/j.appet.2018.05.011","article-title":"Fruit and Vegetable Intake: Influence of Perceived Food Environment and Self-Efficacy","volume":"127","author":"Roux","year":"2018","journal-title":"Appetite"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"741","DOI":"10.1080\/19320248.2018.1549518","article-title":"Perceptions of a Healthier Neighborhood Food Environment Linked to Greater Fruit and Vegetable Purchases at Small and Non-Traditional Food Stores","volume":"14","author":"Barnes","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Hunger Environ. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"76","DOI":"10.1177\/1540415318788068","article-title":"Influence of the Local Food Environment on Hispanics\u2019 Perceptions of Healthy Food Access in New York City","volume":"16","author":"Co","year":"2018","journal-title":"Hisp. Health Care Int."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104543","DOI":"10.1016\/j.appet.2019.104543","article-title":"Residents\u2019 Perceptions of Their Local Food Environment in Socioeconomically Diverse Neighborhoods: A Photovoice Study","volume":"147","author":"Gravina","year":"2020","journal-title":"Appetite"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"28","DOI":"10.1097\/FCH.0000000000000170","article-title":"The Use of Family Rituals in Eating Behaviors in Hispanic Mothers","volume":"41","author":"Coe","year":"2018","journal-title":"Fam. Community Health"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"256","DOI":"10.1093\/cdn\/nzaa043_107","article-title":"Perceptions of Dietary Acculturation Among Mexican Immigrant Women Residing in a Southwestern US Metropolitan Area","volume":"4","author":"Nogales","year":"2020","journal-title":"Curr. Dev. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_22","first-page":"136","article-title":"Food Environment Interactions after Migration: A Scoping Review of Low- and Middle-Income Country Immigrants in High-Income Countries","volume":"25","author":"Andersson","year":"2021","journal-title":"Public Health Nutr."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sanchez-Flack, J., Pickrel, J.L., Belch, G., Lin, S.F., Anderson, C.A.M., Martinez, M.E., Arredondo, E.M., and Ayala, G.X. (2017). Examination of the Relationship between In-Store Environmental Factors and Fruit and Vegetable Purchasing among Hispanics. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 14.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph14111305"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1593","DOI":"10.1017\/S136898001100019X","article-title":"Neighbourhood Immigrant Acculturation and Diet among Hispanic Female Residents of New York City","volume":"14","author":"Park","year":"2011","journal-title":"Public Health Nutr."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"187","DOI":"10.1016\/j.appet.2017.03.032","article-title":"Deconstructing Family Meals: Do Family Structure, Gender and Employment Status Influence the Odds of Having a Family Meal?","volume":"114","author":"Sharif","year":"2017","journal-title":"Appetite"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3538","DOI":"10.1017\/S1368980022002130","article-title":"Exploring the Associations between Neighbourhood Food Environment, Household Food Insecurity and Child Weight-Related Outcomes in Socio-Economically and Racially\/Ethnically Diverse Families","volume":"25","author":"Agarwal","year":"2022","journal-title":"Public Health Nutr."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101912","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pmedr.2022.101912","article-title":"Food Insecurity, Food Environments, and Disparities in Diet Quality and Obesity in a Nationally Representative Sample of Community-Dwelling Older Americans","volume":"29","author":"Choi","year":"2022","journal-title":"Prev. Med. Rep."},{"key":"ref_28","unstructured":"Verdezoto Alvarado, A. (2020). Food Security, Perceptions of Food Neighborhood Environment, and Dietary Quality in Women Residing in the Mexico-US Border, Arizona State University."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"65","DOI":"10.1016\/j.healthplace.2013.01.008","article-title":"Test\u2013Retest Reliability of a Questionnaire Measuring Perceptions of Neighborhood Food Environment","volume":"21","author":"Ma","year":"2013","journal-title":"Health Place"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"515","DOI":"10.1080\/03670244.2000.9991595","article-title":"Evaluation of the Southwest Food Frequency Questionnaire","volume":"38","author":"Taren","year":"2000","journal-title":"Ecol. Food Nutr."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1280","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jand.2023.05.015","article-title":"Healthy Eating Index-2020: Review and Update Process to Reflect the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020\u20132025","volume":"123","author":"Pannucci","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Acad. Nutr. Diet."},{"key":"ref_32","unstructured":"(2026, August 04). National Cancer Institute Healthy Eating Index\u2014Choosing a Method, Available online: https:\/\/epi.grants.cancer.gov\/hei\/tools.html."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1591","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jand.2018.05.021","article-title":"Update of the Healthy Eating Index: HEI-2015","volume":"118","author":"Pannucci","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Acad. Nutr. Diet."},{"key":"ref_34","unstructured":"Hayes, A.F. (2013). Introduction to Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis: A Regression-Bassed Approach, Guilford Publications."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"39","DOI":"10.1016\/j.brat.2016.11.001","article-title":"Regression-Based Statistical Mediation and Moderation Analysis in Clinical Research: Observations, Recommendations, and Implementation","volume":"98","author":"Hayes","year":"2017","journal-title":"Behav. Res. Ther."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"709","DOI":"10.3758\/BF03192961","article-title":"Using Heteroskedasticity-Consistent Standard Error Estimators in OLS Regression: An Introduction and Software Implementation","volume":"39","author":"Hayes","year":"2007","journal-title":"Behav. Res. Methods"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"391","DOI":"10.1177\/0022146518788869","article-title":"Healthy Eating among Mexican Immigrants: Migration in Childhood and Time in the United States","volume":"59","author":"Dondero","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Health Soc. Behav."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1676","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jand.2018.10.011","article-title":"The Association between Food Insecurity and Diet Quality Varies by Race\/Ethnicity: An Analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2014 Results","volume":"119","author":"Leung","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Acad. Nutr. Diet."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105","DOI":"10.1017\/S1368980020004280","article-title":"The Interplay between Fast-Food Outlet Exposure, Household Food Insecurity and Diet Quality in Disadvantaged Districts","volume":"25","author":"Zitman","year":"2022","journal-title":"Public Health Nutr."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1317","DOI":"10.1093\/advances\/nmaa167","article-title":"Use of the Healthy Eating Index in Intervention Studies for Cardiometabolic Risk Conditions: A Systematic Review","volume":"12","author":"Brauer","year":"2021","journal-title":"Adv. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"481","DOI":"10.3945\/an.113.004119","article-title":"What Are We Assessing When We Measure Food Security? A Compendium and Review of Current Metrics","volume":"4","author":"Jones","year":"2013","journal-title":"Adv. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"169","DOI":"10.1017\/S0029665125000035","article-title":"Capturing Food Insecurity Data and Implications for Business and Policy","volume":"85","author":"Furey","year":"2026","journal-title":"Proc. Nutr. Soc."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Keyes, L.M., Kim, J., Balachandran, S., Kuttler, S., and Andrew, S. (2025). Missing Meals and Missed Rides: Transportation Barriers to Food Access for Vulnerable Populations. Urban Sci., 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/urbansci9060198"},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2019","DOI":"10.3945\/jn.116.232298","article-title":"Severity of Household Food Insecurity Is Positively Associated with Mental Disorders among Children and Adolescents in the United States","volume":"146","author":"Burke","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"107267","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ypmed.2022.107267","article-title":"Perceived Neighborhood Factors, Health Behaviors, and Related Outcomes in the Hispanic Community Health Study\/Study of Latinos","volume":"164","author":"Bayly","year":"2022","journal-title":"Prev. Med."},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"253","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.publhealth.29.020907.090926","article-title":"Creating Healthy Food and Eating Environments: Policy and Environmental Approaches","volume":"29","author":"Story","year":"2008","journal-title":"Annu. Rev. Public Health"}],"container-title":["Nutrients"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-6643\/18\/17\/2857\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,3]],"date-time":"2026-09-03T04:41:18Z","timestamp":1788410478000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-6643\/18\/17\/2857"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]]},"references-count":46,"journal-issue":{"issue":"17","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]}},"alternative-id":["nu18172857"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/nu18172857","relation":{},"ISSN":["2072-6643"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2072-6643","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]]}}}