CARROtS Collaborative
Publications
Peer-reviewed research using the Veggie Meter® from collaborative members and the broader carotenoid assessment community.
12 publications
2026
Children
Public Health Nutrition, 2026; 29(1):e29
Quasi-experimental study in Head Start centers examining a food-based learning and gardening intervention on preschool children’s skin carotenoid status. Both groups showed significant SCS increases during the intervention period. The intervention group demonstrated a 17.8% gain vs. 12.9% in comparison, though the difference in rate of change was not statistically significant.
2025
Community settings
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2025; 126(4):156273
Use of the Veggie Meter® for data collection in community-based settings necessitated adaptation of standard protocols to meet the varied needs of environments, communities, and participants. Three main themes were identified: balancing protocol adherence with contextual adaptation, implementation and operation in community-based settings, and strategies for maximizing participant engagement.
2025
Indigenous populations
Current Developments in Nutrition, 2025; 9(9):107521
Cross-sectional study examining skin carotenoid scores and body mass index and dietary intake among adults and children in Osage Nation. A healthier overall diet (as measured by HEI-2015) was associated with higher skin carotenoid scores in adults. Within families, adult skin carotenoid scores were correlated and associated with young children’s scores.
2025
Reliability
Public Health Nutrition, 2025; 28(1):e169
Cross-sectional study across 8 U.S. sites examining intra- and inter-device reliability of the Veggie Meter®. Intra-device ICC ranged 0.77–0.99 with average CV of 8.8%. Inter-device ICC ranged 0.58–0.94 with average absolute relative difference of 13.9%. Findings highlight the importance of documenting which device is used and considering interdevice variability in analysis.
2025
Reliability
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 2025; 58(2):135–143
Cross-sectional study in Illinois (N=587) comparing reliability of 3-scan average vs. average of scans 2 and 3. Averaging the second and third scans produced higher reliability. Repeatability coefficients were significantly higher among participants with higher SCS and significantly lower for Black or African American participants than White and Asian participants in one device.
2023
Community settings
Public Health Nutrition, 2023; 26(11):2211–2217
Cross-sectional survey of customers at 22 small food retail stores in rural and urban North Carolina. Only 36% purchased at least one healthy item and 7.6% purchased a carotenoid-containing food. Purchase of a healthy or carotenoid-containing item was positively associated with skin carotenoid scores.
2023
Children
Nutrients, 2023; 15(6):1315
Systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 studies examining skin carotenoid scores in children aged 2–10. Among 726 children in the meta-analysis, the correlation between RS-based SCS and fruit and vegetable consumption was r=0.2 (p<0.0001). Concludes RS-based SCS is a valid method for estimating children’s FV consumption.
2023
Children
The Journal of Nutrition, 2023; 154(1):261–270
Cross-sectional study in 46 family child care homes in Nebraska (n=136 children, ages 3–5). Children’s skin carotenoid scores were significantly correlated with mean fruit and vegetable consumption in child care settings (τ=0.14), total provitamin A carotenoids (τ=0.19), and parent-reported FV frequency (τ=0.16).
2023
Validation
Nutrients, 2023; 15(2):409
Prospective cohort study (n=42) comparing Diet ID™ against dietary recalls, skin carotenoid scores, and plasma carotenoids in university students. Skin carotenoid scores and plasma carotenoids were correlated with carotenoid intake from Diet ID™. Supports Diet ID™ as a less burdensome dietary assessment method.
2021
Protocol
Current Developments in Nutrition, 2021; 5:nzab104
A standardized protocol was developed in partnership with Veggie Meter® users to outline preparation, calibration, and data collection procedures for using this device for research purposes. Survey results from 19 researchers showed variation in anatomical site preparation, calibration, number of measurements, measurement site, and documentation.
2021
Children
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 2021; 53(4):343–351
Study of 113 Head Start preschool children examining food-based STEAM learning activities on vegetable liking and skin carotenoid status. A significant time×group interaction was found for SCS. Both groups declined after winter break but the intervention group showed a smaller decline (0.06% vs. 15.09%).
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