LAUSR

OBJECTIVE Examine differences in skin carotenoid status (SCS) based on time, age, and sex of preschool-aged children enrolled in Head Start (HS) in North Carolina. DESIGN Data were collected using surveys from participating families. preschool-aged children's SCS were measured 3 times over a 6-month period. SETTING Three HS centers in North Carolina. PARTICIPANTS One hundred twelve children aged 3-5 years, enrolled in HS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Differences in SCS assessed using the Veggie Meter (Longevity Link, Salt Lake City, UT) based on time, sex, and age. ANALYSIS One-way ANOVA to assess SCS at time 1 between sex and age (n = 112). Repeated measures ANOVA with a Greenhouse-Geisser correction for assessment of SCS over time (n = 45) using Bonferroni correction. RESULTS On average, children were aged 4 years, African American (81.3%), male (57%), and mean SCS was 266 (SD = 82.9). Skin carotenoid status (Veggie Meter units) were significantly different over time (P < 0.001). Significant differences were observed between ages (P = 0.01) and sex (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS The Veggie Meter is a promising tool to assess fruit and vegetable intake but needs to be validated in preschool-aged children as it has been in adults. Sex and age are potential confounders which should be assessed in future studies using the Veggie Meter.