Development and application of the Meal and Snack Assessment (MESA) quality scale for children and adolescents using item response theory.
Stella LemkeDalton Francisco de AndradePatrícia de Fragas HinnigSilvio Aparecido da SilvaSilvana Ligia VincenziDenise Miguel Teixeira RobertoAdriana Soares LoboFrancilene Gracieli Kunradi VieiraPatricia Faria Di PietroMaria Alice Altenburg de AssisPublished in: Nutrition journal (2024)
IRT analysis allowed the development of the scale, which measures the quality of meals and snacks based on the degree of food processing. At all snack times, there was a higher frequency of ultra-processed foods consumption, therefore foods consumed as snacks are a potential focus for nutritional interventions.