Diet quality and its association with type 2 diabetes and major cardiometabolic risk factors among adults in China

Associations between dietary diversity and dyslipidemia among Japanese workers: cross-sectional study and longitudinal study findings

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine the associations between dietary diversity and risk of dyslipidemia in Japanese workers.

METHODS

The cross-sectional study included 1399 participants aged 20-63 years and the longitudinal study included 751 participants aged 20-60 years in 2012-2013 (baseline) who participated at least once from 2013 to 2017 with cumulative participation times of 4.9 times. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, and dietary diversity score (DDS) was determined using the Quantitative Index for Dietary Diversity. Dyslipidemia was diagnosed when at least one of the following conditions was met: hypertriglyceridemia, high LDL-cholesterol, low HDL-cholesterol, high non-HDL-cholesterol, and a history of dyslipidemia. Multivariable logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for dyslipidemia with control of confounding factors in cross-sectional analysis. Generalized estimating equations were used for calculating the ORs (95% CI) for dyslipidemia in the follow-up period according to the DDS at baseline with control of confounding factors in longitudinal analysis.

RESULTS

Cross-sectional analysis showed that the highest DDS reduced the odds of dyslipidemia in men (OR [95% CI] in Tertile 3: 0.67 [0.48-0.95], p value = 0.023). In longitudinal analysis, a moderate DDS reduced the risk of dyslipidemia (OR [95% CI] in Tertile 2: 0.21 [0.07-0.60], p value = 0.003) in women.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of cross-sectional analysis in this study suggest that the higher diversity of diet might reduce the presence of dyslipidemia in men and the results of longitudinal analysis suggest that a moderate DDS might reduce the risk of dyslipidemia in women. Further studies are needed since the results of cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses in this study were inconsistent.

The association between adherence to diet quality index and cardiometabolic risk factors in overweight and obese women: a cross-sectional study

Background

Obesity and overweight status increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Diet quality can also predict the risk of cardiovascular diseases in obese and overweight patients. Therefore, in this study, we sought to examine the relationship between diet quality index (DQI) and cardiometabolic risk factors in obese and overweight women.

Method

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 197 Iranian women with a Body Mass Index (BMI) > 25, 18-48 years, and recruited from 20 Tehran Health Centers. Nutrition intake and DQI were assessed using a 147-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Additionally, anthropometric measurements, body composition, biochemical evaluations, and cardiometabolic risk factors were evaluated.

Results

There was an association between DQI and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), and CHOLINDEX in obese women, after adjusting for potential confounders. Whereas, there were no significant associations of the tertiles of DQI compared with the first tertile in other cardiometabolic risk factors, before and after adjustment.

Conclusion

This study provides evidence that dietary intake and DQI are associated with cardiometabolic risk factors and that dietary modification may be a predictor for reducing WHR, AIP, and CHOLINDEX. However, more research is needed to develop a DQI that reflects changes in cardiometabolic risk factors by considering women's eating habits and patterns.

Association of Dietary Quality with Cognitive Function in Chinese Adults Aged 55 Years and Above: A Longitudinal Study

OBJECTIVES

Diet is an important modifiable factor for brain health and aging. Present study aimed to explore association of dietary quality with cognitive function and poor cognition in middle-aged and older adults participating in the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS).

DESIGN

A longitudinal study with a twenty-year follow-up.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Data were drawn from the CHNS 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2015 and 2018. Subjects aged 55 years and more who participated in at least two waves and had completed data on socio-demographics, lifestyle, disease history, anthropometrics, dietary measure and cognitive assessment were eligible in present study.

METHODS

Baseline diet were assessed by 3-day 24-hour dietary recalls and used to evaluate diet quality via China Elderly Dietary Guidelines Index 2022 (CDGI 2022-E). Cognitive function was examined using part items of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status-modified. Three-level linear mixed effects models and three-level mixed effects logistic regression models were performed to estimate the association between diet quality and cognitive function and odds of poor cognition, respectively.

RESULTS

At baseline, 4173 subjects with median age of 63.7 years were recruited. Median of CDGI 2022-E total score was 44.7. Median score of global cognition was 16.0, and the proportion of people with poor cognitive function was 13.9%. Difference in global cognitive score was observed by tertiles of CDGI 2022-E (p<0.05). Significant associations of high diet quality with increment in global cognitive score [β (95%CI): 0.704 (0.394~1.015)], composite cognitive z score [0.086 (0.045~0.128)] and standardized verbal memory score [0.221 (0.122~0.320)] were observed in total subjects. Consistent associations were also found in those below 65 years at baseline. The likelihood of poor cognition in the highest tertile of CDGI 2022-E decreased by 18% (95%CI: 0.698~0.965) relative to the lowest tertile group in total population.

CONCLUSIONS

High diet quality may be beneficial for improving cognitive function and delaying cognitive decline in Chinese middle-aged and older population.

Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 and Incident Non-Communicable Diseases: Findings from a 15-Year follow up of Women from the 1973–78 Cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and multimorbidity (≥two chronic conditions), are increasing globally. Diet is a risk factor for some NCDs. We aimed to investigate the association between diet quality (DQ) and incident NCDs. Participants were from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health 1973–78 cohort with no NCD and completed dietary data at survey 3 (2003, aged 25–30 years) who responded to at least one survey between survey 4 (2006) and survey 8 (2018). DQ was measured by the Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010). Outcomes included coronary heart disease (CHD), hypertension (HT), asthma, cancer (excluding skin cancer), diabetes mellitus (DM), depression and/or anxiety, multimorbidity, and all-cause mortality. Repeated cross-sectional multivariate logistic regressions were performed to investigate the association between baseline DQ and NCDs over 15 years. The AHEI-2010 mean (±sd) for participants (n = 8017) was 51.6 ± 11.0 (range: 19–91). There was an inverse association between AHEI-2010 and incident asthma at survey 4 (OR_Q5–Q1: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.57, 0.99). Baseline DQ did not predict the occurrence of any NCDs or multimorbidity between the ages of 25–45 years. Further well-planned, large prospective studies conducted in young women are needed to explore dietary risk factors before the establishment of NCDs.

Trends in Dietary Carbohydrates, Protein, and Fat Intake and Diet Quality Among Chinese Adults, 1991-2015: Results from the China Health and Nutrition Survey

OBJECTIVE

Dietary transitions in China have undergone rapid changes in over the last three decades. The purpose of this study to describe trends in the macronutrient consumption, the sources of those nutrients, and the diet quality among Chinese adults.

DESIGN

Longitudinal China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) cohort analysis. Main outcomes are dietary energy intake from total carbohydrate, protein and fat and their subtypes, as well as food sources of carbohydrates, protein, and fat, and the China Dietary Guidelines Index 2018 (CDGI-2018).

SETTING

CHNS (1991, 2000, 2009, 2015).

PARTICIPANTS

Data from the longitudinal 1991, 2000, 2009, and 2015 China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) of adults aged 18 years or older, who had complete demographic information.

RESULTS

The estimated mean energy intake from total carbohydrate decreased from 62.6% to 50.6% between 1991 and 2015, while the mean energy intake from total protein increased from 12.6% to just 13.1% and the mean energy intake from total fat significantly increased from 24.0% to 35.8% (P < 0.001 for trend). Decreases were observed in evaluated mean energy from low-quality carbohydrates (from 53.6% to 41.7%) and incomplete protein (from 9.3% to 7.5%), while increases were seen in estimated mean energy from high-quality protein (from 3.3% to 5.5%), high-quality fat (from 9.1% to 16.7 %), and low-quality fat (from 14.9% to 19.0%). Low-quality carbohydrates, primarily those derived from refined grains, decreased from 52.2% to 36.2%. The diet quality as measured by CDGI-2018 improved, with the estimated mean increasing from 41.7 to 52.4 (P < 0.01 for trend).

CONCLUSION

For Chinese adults, there was a significant change in the macronutrient composition over the previous few decades. The percentage of energy consumed from carbohydrates significantly decreased, however the percentage of energy consumed from total fat significantly increased. Additionally, the diet quality remains suboptimal.

Characterizing the urban diet: development of an urbanized diet index

Background

In recent decades China has experienced rapid urbanization leading to a major nutrition transition, with increased refined carbohydrates, added sweeteners, edible oils, and animal-source foods, and reduced legumes, vegetables, and fruits. These changes have accompanied increased prevalence of cardiometabolic disease (CMD). There is no single dietary measure that summarizes the distinct food changes across regions and levels of urbanization.

Methods

Using a sample of adults (≥18 years) in the 2015 wave of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS; n = 14,024), we selected literature-based candidate dietary variables and tested their univariate associations with overall and within-region urbanization. Using iterative exclusion of select diet-related variables, we created six potential urbanized diet indices, which we examined relative to overall urbanization to select a final urbanized diet index based on a priori considerations, strength of association with urbanization, and minimal missingness. We tested stability of the final urbanized diet index across sociodemographic factors. To examine whether our new measure reflected health risk, we used mixed effects logistic regression models to examine associations between the final urbanized diet index and CMD risk factors – hypertension (HTN), overweight, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), adjusting for sociodemographics, overall urbanization, physical activity, and including random intercepts to account for correlation at community and household level.

Results

We identified a final urbanized diet index that captured dietary information unique to consumption of an urbanized diet and performed well across regions. We found a positive association (R² = 0.17, 0.01 SE) between the final urbanized diet index and overall urbanization in the fully adjusted model. The new measure was negatively associated with HTN [OR (95% CI) = 0.93 (0.88–0.99)] and positively associated with T2D [OR = 1.13; 1.05–1.21] in minimally adjusted models, but not in the fully adjusted models.

Conclusion

We derived an urbanized diet index that captured dietary urbanization that was distinct from overall urbanization and performed well across all regions of China. This urbanized diet index provides an alternative to measures of traditional versus urbanized diet that vary across regions due to different cultural dietary traditions. In addition, the new measure is best used in combination with diet quality measures, sociodemographic, and lifestyle measures to examine distinct pathways from urbanization to health in urbanizing countries.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12937-022-00807-8.

High Diet Quality Is Linked to Low Risk of Abdominal Obesity among the Elderly Women in China

How diet as a whole impacts the risk of general overweight and abdominal obesity among the Chinese elderly is unclear. The present study aimed to examine the association of overall diet quality with general overweight and abdominal obesity in the Chinese elderly. Using data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) from 1993 to 2015, an ongoing cohort study, we selected participants aged 60 and older who were not generally overweight, but who had abdominal obesity at baseline and who had participated in at least two waves of the survey as subjects. The China Elderly Dietary Guidelines Index (CDGI-E) was used, based on the critical diet-related recommendations of the 2016 Chinese Dietary Guideline (CDG-2016), to assess overall diet quality. Consecutive 3 d, 24 h recalls and household weighing for seasonings and edible oils were used to collect dietary data and calculate the CDGI-E scores. Three-level (community-individual-wave) random intercept logistic regression models were used to analyze the impact of diet quality on the risk of general overweight and abdominal obesity in the elderly. The results showed that the older women in the top sixtiles of the CDGI-E scores had a 38% reduction —0.62, 95% CI (0.41, 0.92)—in the risk of abdominal obesity, as compared to those in the bottom sixtiles after adjusting for all potential confounders, while the null association was observed in the older men. The relationship between CDGI-E score and the risk of overweight/general obesity in the Chinese elderly has not been found. It was concluded that a high diet quality was associated with a reduced risk of abdominal obesity among elderly women in China. Our findings will help to improve the understanding of the relationship between the overall effect of diet and health. It may provide a new avenue for obesity intervention policy formulation from the aspect of improving overall dietary quality.

Diet quality in association to lipidaemic profile in adults of families at high-risk for type 2 diabetes in Europe: The Feel4Diabetes study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The role of diet in blood lipids is scarcely investigated in adults at risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and even less studied regarding their socioeconomic status (SES). This study aimed to investigate the associations of diet quality with blood lipids in adults from families at high-risk for developing T2DM from six European countries, considering their SES.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In total 2049 adults (67% women) from relatively low-SES regions and high T2DM risk families were enrolled. Dietary habits, sedentary behaviour and sociodemographic characteristics were assessed using standardised questionnaires. The associations of tertiles of healthy diet score (HDS) with blood lipids were tested by univariate analysis of variance (UNIANOVA). HDL-Cholesterol (HDL-C) was positively (B 1.54 95%CI 0.08 to 2.99) and LDL-Cholesterol (LDL-C) (B -4.15 95%CI -7.82 to -0.48), ratio of total cholesterol to HDL-C (B -0.24 95%CI -0.37 to -0.10), ratio of LDL-C to HDL-C (B -0.18 95%CI -0.28 to -0.08) and Atherogenic Index of Plasma (B -0.03 95%CI -0.06 to 0.00) inversely associated with the highest tertile of diet score compared to the lowest tertile independently of age, sex, Body Mass Index, total screen time and smoking. In sub-analysis of education (<14 and ≥ 14 years of education), these findings were only significant in the high-SES group.

CONCLUSION

While diet quality was poorer in the low-SES group, an association between diet quality and lipidemic profile was not found, as increased central obesity and smoking prevalence might have confounded this association. These findings indicate the need for tailor-made interventions, guided by the specific risk factors identified per population sub groups.

Healthy Eating Index Scores, Body Mass Index and Abdominal Obesity Among Asian Americans: NHANES 2011-2018

Objective

Obesity rates are increasing among Asian Americans so, the objective of this study was to examine associations between Healthy Eating Index scores (a measure of adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs)) and body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (measure of abdominal obesity) among Asian American adults.

Methods

Included in these analyses were Asian Americans ≥20 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011-18) who had: (1) two 24 h diet recalls to calculate HEI and HEI subcomponent scores, (2) height and weight data to calculate BMI overweight ≥25 kg/m2 and obese ≥ 30kg/m (2), and (3) waist circumference data (high risk ≥ 80 cm for women and ≥ 90 cm for men; n = 1024 women and n = 904 men). Multinomial logistic regression models were run with BMI as the outcome and logistic regression models were run with waist circumference as the outcome, controlling for age, income, marital status, education, and physical activity.

Results

Among women, a diet with greater adherence to the DGAs for total fruit, fatty acids and total protein was associated with lower likelihood of developing obesity, but a diet with greater adherence to the DGAs in terms of whole grains and sodium (i.e., lower sodium intake) was associated with a higher likelihood of obesity. Among men, greater adherence to the DGAs for fatty acids was associated with a lower likelihood of obesity but greater adherence to the DGAs in terms of whole grains and sodium (i.e., lower sodium intake) was associated with a greater likelihood of obesity.

Conclusions

Future research is needed to examine associations between consumption of specific foods and beverages and how they are associated with BMI and waist circumference among Asian American adults. Furthermore, there is a need culturally relevant obesity prevention interventions for Asian American adults, especially interventions that take into consideration cultural food norms of specific Asian American subgroups.

Association of Serum Magnesium with Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes among Adults in China

Magnesium is an essential mineral for the human body and a cofactor or activator for more than 300 enzymatic reactions, including blood glucose control and insulin release. Diabetes is a well-known global burden of disease with increasing global prevalence. In China, the prevalence of diabetes in adults is higher than the global average. Evidence shows that magnesium is a predictor of insulin resistance and diabetes. However, the majority of studies focus on dietary magnesium instead of serum magnesium concentration. We study the correlation of serum magnesium levels with insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes. In this prospective cohort study, we included 5044 participants aged 18 years and older without insulin resistance (IR) and diabetes at the baseline from China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). A fasting blood sample was taken for the measurement of both types of magnesium, fasting blood glucose, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and fasting insulin. The homeostatic model (HOMA-IR) was calculated. Demographic characteristics of participants, and risk factors such as intensity of physical activities, smoking status, drinking habit, and anthropometric information were recorded. IR was defined as HOMA-IR ≥ 2.5, and Type 2 diabetes mellitus was defined as fasting plasma glucose ≥ 7.0 mmol/L or HbA1c ≥ 6.5%, or a self-reported diagnosis or treatment of diabetes. A total of 1331 incident insulin resistance events and 429 incident diabetic events were recorded during an average follow-up of 5.8 years. The serum magnesium concentration was categorized into quintiles. After adjusting for relevant covariates, the third quintile of serum magnesium (0.89−0.93 mmol/L) was correlated with 29% lower risk of incident insulin resistance (hazard ratio = 0.71, 95% CI 0.58, 0.86) and with a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes. Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for insulin resistance were compared with the lowest quintile of serum magnesium (<0.85). We found similar results when evaluating serum magnesium as a continuous measure. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) curves showed a nonlinear dose−response correlation in both serum magnesium levels and insulin resistance, and in serum magnesium levels and Type 2 diabetes. Lower serum magnesium concentration was associated with a higher risk of insulin resistance and diabetes.

Egg and Dietary Cholesterol Consumption and the Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome: Findings from a Population-Based Nationwide Cohort

BACKGROUND

Although the Chinese Dietary Guidelines (2016) removed restrictions on dietary cholesterol intake, evidence of egg and dietary cholesterol intake and cardiometabolic diseases is inconsistent. Associations between egg and cholesterol consumption and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in non-Western populations are still poorly documented.

OBJECTIVE

Our aim was to assess egg and dietary cholesterol intake in relation to the prevalence of MetS among participants in a Chinese nationwide study.

DESIGN

This cross-sectional study used data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (1991-2009).

PARTICIPANTS/SETTING

The sample consisted of 8,241 healthy Chinese adults (20 years and older).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

MetS cases were defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Cumulative means of egg and cholesterol consumption were calculated in accordance with 3 consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls in each examination cycle. Logistic regression models were conducted to assess the associations with prevalent MetS.

RESULTS

Overall, 2,580 (31.3%) participants were identified as MetS cases in 2009. After multivariate adjustment, total egg consumption (>1 egg/d) was associated with 20% higher odds of MetS (odds ratio [OR] 1.20, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.37; P trend = .001) compared with consumption of ≤1/2 egg/d. Examining cooking methods, a positive association was observed between fried egg consumption and MetS odds (OR comparing the highest category [>1/2 egg/d] with the lowest category [≤1/7 egg/d] 1.22, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.39; P trend = .001), and nonfried egg intake was not associated with MetS odds (P trend = .08). Total dietary intake and egg-sourced cholesterol intake were both positively correlated with MetS odds (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.53; P trend = .005) comparing the highest consumption (>371 mg · 2,000 kcal^-1 · d^-1) with the lowest consumption (≤132 mg · 2,000 kcal^-1 · d^-1) for total dietary cholesterol (OR 1.36; 95% CI 1.17 to 1.58; P trend < .001) and comparing the highest consumption (>232 mg · 2,000 kcal^-1 · d^-1) with the lowest consumption (≤46 mg · 2,000 kcal^-1 · d^-1) for egg-sourced cholesterol; similar associations were not observed for non-egg-sourced cholesterol consumption (P trend = .83). Substituting eggs and fried eggs for other protein sources, including low-fat and whole-fat dairy products; nuts and legumes; total red meat; processed meat; poultry meat; or seafood, was still associated with higher odds of MetS.

CONCLUSIONS

Consumption of >1 egg/d and >1/2 fried egg/d was associated with a higher prevalence of MetS than consumption of ≤1/2 egg/d and ≤1/7 fried egg/d. Future longitudinal cohort studies and randomized controlled trials are needed to further investigate the relationship between egg consumption and MetS and explore possible mechanisms of action.

Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Adult Diabetes Risk: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis

(1) Background: Recent individual studies have demonstrated that consumption of ultra-processed food (UPF) may be related to type two diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We aimed to synthesize the results from these individual studies by conducting an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies evaluating the association between UPF consumption and the risk of T2DM. (2) Methods: A systematic search was conducted using ISI Web of Science, PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus electronic databases from inception up to August 2021. Data were extracted from five studies (one cross-sectional study and four cohort studies, totaling 230,526 adults from four different countries). Risk ratios (RR) of pooled results were estimated using a random-effects model. (3) Results: Our results revealed that higher UPF consumption was significantly associated with an increased risk of T2DM (RR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.36, 2.22; I² = 68.9%; p < 0.001; n = 5). Linear dose-response analysis indicated that each 10% increase in UPF consumption (kcal/d) was associated with a 15% higher risk of T2DM (RR = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.26; I² = 86.0%; p < 0.001; n = 5) among adults. Non-linear dose-response analysis demonstrated a positive linear association between UPF consumption and T2DM (p_nonlinearity = 0.13, p_{dose-response} < 0.001; n = 5) among adults. (4) Conclusions: A higher intake of UPF was significantly associated with an increased risk of T2DM. However, underlying mechanisms remain unknown and future experimental studies are warranted.

Diet Quality and Incident Non-Communicable Disease in the 1946-1951 Cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health

Diet quality indices (DQIs) can be useful predictors of diet–disease relationships, including non-communicable disease (NCD) multimorbidity. We aimed to investigate whether overall diet quality (DQ) predicted NCD, multimorbidity, and all-cause mortality. Women from the 1945–51 cohort of the Australia Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) were included if they: responded to S3 in 2001 and at least one survey between 2004 (S4) and 2016 (S8), and had no NCD history and complete dietary data at S3. DQ was summarized by the Healthy Eating Index for Australian Adults-2013 (HEIFA-2013), Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS), and Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010). Outcomes included each NCD (diabetes mellitus (DM), coronary heart disease (CHD), hypertension (HT), asthma, cancer (except skin cancer), depression and/or anxiety) independently, multimorbidity, and all-cause mortality. Repeated multivariate logistic regressions were used to test associations between DQIs and NCD outcomes across the 15 years of follow-up. The mean (±sd) of DQIs of participants (n = 5350) were 57.15 ± 8.16 (HEIFA-2013); 4.35 ± 1.75 (MDS), and 56.01 ± 10.32 (AHEI-2010). Multivariate regressions indicated that women reporting the highest quintile of AHEI-2010 had lower odds of DM (42–56% (S5–S8)), HT (26% (S8)), asthma (35–37% (S7, S8)), and multimorbidity (30–35% (S7, S8)). The highest quintile of HEIFA-2013 and MDS had lower odds of HT (26–35% (S7, S8); 24–27% (S6–S8), respectively) and depression and/or anxiety (30% (S6): 30–34% (S7, S8)). Our findings support evidence that DQ is an important predictor of some NCDs and a target for prevention in middle-aged women.

A Systematic Review of Diet Quality Index and Obesity among Chinese Adults

Diet quality scores are designed mainly based on Western-style dietary patterns. They were demonstrated to be good indicators of obesity in developed but not developing countries. Several diet quality scores were developed based on the Chinese dietary guidelines, yet no systematic review exists regarding how they were related to obesity. We searched research articles published between 2000 and 2021 in PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus databases. Both cross-sectional and prospective studies that examined the relationship between a diet quality score and weight, body mass index, obesity, or waist circumference conducted in a Chinese population were selected. From the 602 articles searched, 20 articles were selected (12 are cross-sectional studies and 8 are prospective cohort studies). The relationship between internationally used scores and obesity was inconsistent among studies. Scores tailored to the Chinese diet demonstrated a strong relationship with both being underweight and obesity. The heterogeneity of the populations and the major nutrition transition in China may partially explain the discrepancies among studies. In conclusion, diet quality scores tailored to the Chinese diet may be associated with both undernutrition and overnutrition, as well as being underweight and obesity outcomes.

Association between diet quality index and cardiometabolic risk factors in adolescents: Study of Cardiovascular Risks in Adolescents (ERICA)

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluated the association between diet quality, assessed by the Diet Quality Index for Adolescents adapted for Brazilians (DQIA-BR), and cardiometabolic markers in adolescents.

METHODS

The DQIA-BR and cardiometabolic markers were assessed in 36 956 Brazilian adolescents (12-17 y old) enrolled in the Study of Cardiovascular Risks in Adolescents (ERICA), a national school-based cross-sectional multicenter study in Brazil. For analyses, the sample was stratified by sex and nutritional status. Multiple linear regressions were used to investigate the association between DQIA-BR and cardiometabolic markers (total cholesterol, HDL-c, LDL-c, triglycerides, fasting glucose and HOMA-IR). Adjusted models were constructed with two input levels of covariates. The first model was adjusted for sex, age, and socioeconomic status; in the second model, total energy intake, physical activity, and sedentary behavior were included.

RESULTS

A higher DQIA-BR score was associated with a better cardiometabolic profile in girls with normal weight; however, no association was observed in those with overweight/obesity. In boys with overweight/obesity, a better quality of diet was associated with lower concentrations of total cholesterol (β = -0.338, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.611 to -0.066) and LDL-c (β = -0.227, 95% CI: -0.448 to -0.005), but only LDL-c remained significant in those with normal weight (β = -0.115, 95% CI: -0.224 to 0.005).

CONCLUSION

The effects of diet quality on cardiometabolic risk factors differ according to sex and the presence of overweight/obesity. Overall, DQIA-BR is a suitable tool to evaluate the association between diet quality and cardiometabolic markers in normal-weight adolescents, but not for adolescents, especially girls, with overweight/obesity.

Insight into the α-glucosidase-inhibiting mechanism of β-PGG, a commonly occurring polyphenol in diets

1,2,3,4,6-Penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucopyranose (β-PGG) is a compound commonly available in vegetables and fruits. It exhibited potential inhibition of α-glucosidase and hypoglycemic effect in vivo. This study explored its dynamics properties inhibiting α-glucosidase by Lineweaver - Burk plots, spectral analysis, docking analysis, and molecular dynamics simulations. β-PGG showed a mix-type inhibition when it was interacting with α-glucosidase. The fluorescence quenching indicated that the PGG-glucosidase complex formed in a spontaneous exothermic process and was driven by enthalpy. The synchronous fluorescence and ECD spectra indicate that β-PGG induced and changed the enzyme conformation in the complex formation. Docking results revealed multiple hydrogen bonds between the phenols and the amino acid residues. Further dynamic simulations indicated that the residues Asp345, Phe153, Arg435, Glu300, Pro305, and Phe296 played a more critical role in the interactions between β-PGG and α-glucosidase.

Adherence to National Food Guide Recommendations: Can It Slow the Obesity Epidemic? A Systematic Review

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Dietary guidelines (DG) have the objective to promote healthy diet and prevent chronic diseases. In order to evaluate if this purpose is being achieved, we systematically reviewed studies that associated adherence to DG with obesity.

RECENT FINDINGS

We identified 2012 articles published in the last 5 years, and 38 remained in the final sample. The majority of studies demonstrated a negative association between adherence to DG and obesity. Studies with positive or no association presented mutual characteristics, such as populations composed only by children or adolescents, and dietary intake or dietary adherence assessed through non-validated or weak methods. Adherence to DG seems to be a protective factor for obesity in adults, but this relationship is not so clear for children and adolescents. To improve the quality of dietary intake results, studies must utilize appropriate methods to answer their questions with less biased estimate of dietary intake.

Changes in diet quality over 10 years of nutrition transition in Colombia: analysis of the 2005 and 2015 nationally representative cross-sectional surveys

OBJECTIVES

To describe the changes in diet quality in Colombians using nationally representative samples from the 2005 and 2015 nutrition surveys.

METHODS

Repeated cross-sectional analyses of the National Nutrition Surveys from 2005 and 2015. Children (4-17 y.o.) and adults (≥ 18 y.o.) were included. The Alternative Healthy-Eating Index (AHEI) was derived from 24-h recall questionnaires and used to examine diet quality.

RESULTS

A total of 33,971 participants (20,122 children, 13,849 adults) were included in 2005, and 26,445 participants (15,304 children, 11,141 adults) in 2015. Over the ten-year period, the AHEI decreased from 46.3 to 44.3 in children (Cohen's d = 0.19) and from 49.0 to 46.2 in adults. (Cohen's d = 0.25). On average, those in the highest socioeconomic level had the worst diet quality; however, the difference between the less and most affluent groups shrank by 4.0% over the observation period.

CONCLUSIONS

Between 2005 and 2015, there was a worsening in the diet quality of Colombian children and adults. Less affluent individuals had a greater worsening of diet quality compared to groups from higher socioeconomic levels.

Spanish People with Type 2 Diabetes Show an Improved Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet

The aim of this study was to assess the dietary pattern (i.e., Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) and healthy eating) in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) compared with those without diabetes. In addition, we explored clinical factors associated with the dietary pattern. This cross-sectional study was performed with a sample of 476 participants (238 with T2D and 238 participants without diabetes, matched for age and sex). The alternate Mediterranean Diet (aMED) score and the alternate Healthy Eating Index (aHEI) were calculated. Statistical analysis included comparison between groups and multivariable models. Participants with T2D showed higher aMED and aHEI scores (mean (SD): 4.3 (1.5) and 43.9 (6.5), respectively) in comparison with the control group (3.5 (1.8) and 39.4 (7.4), respectively; p < 0.001). In addition, a higher proportion of participants with T2D in higher tertiles of aMED (21.8%) and aHEI (39.9%) was observed compared with participants without diabetes (11.3% for the aMED, and 19.3% for the aHEI; p < 0.001). The adjusted multivariable analysis revealed that T2D (p < 0.001), increasing age (p = 0.006 and p = 0.030, respectively), and physical activity (p = 0.009) were positively associated with higher aMED and aHEI scores. Dyslipidemia and female gender were positively associated with aMED and aHEI (p = 0.031 and p < 0.001, respectively). The specific multivariable analysis for the group with T2D yielded a positive association of age (p < 0.001) and dyslipidemia (p = 0.021) with aMED. Regarding the aHEI, only female gender was positively related with this score in diabetes participants (p = 0.025). Participants with T2D showed a higher adherence to the MedDiet and a healthier eating pattern.

Associations of Dietary Sodium, Potassium, and Sodium to Potassium Ratio with Blood Pressure- Regional Disparities in China

High dietary sodium and low potassium intake increase blood pressure and risk of hypertension, but whether the relationship between dietary sodium and potassium and risk of hypertension is different in North China and South China remains unclear. We used data from the longitudinal China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) and selected 6705 adults who participated in at least two waves in 2009, 2011, and 2015 and had no hypertension in baseline. We performed multiple linear regression analysis and multiple logistic regressions stratified by area for the present study design. Sodium and potassium intake were higher in North China (4343.4 and 1624.8 mg/day, respectively) than in South China (4107.8 and 1516.1 mg/d, respectively) (p < 0.05). Multiple linear regression revealed that a positive correlation of sodium intake (β = 0.026, p < 0.05) and ratio of sodium to potassium (Na-K) intake (β = 0.041, p < 0.01) with diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was found in North China, and the association of sodium, potassium, and Na-K intake ratio with blood pressure was different in South China. Multiple logistic regressions documented a similar significant inverse association between dietary potassium intake and risk of hypertension in both North China and South China (risk ratio (RR): 0.63, 95%CI: 0.50–0.79; RR: 0.80, 95%CI: 0.66–0.98, respectively). The risk of hypertension increased in the fourth quartile of dietary sodium and Na-K intake ratio (RR: 1.20, 95%CI: 1.00–1.44; RR: 1.35, 95%CI: 1.13–1.62, respectively) in North China but no association was observed in South China. The current study indicates a different association of dietary sodium and Na-K intake ratio with systolic blood pressure (SBP), DBP, and risk of hypertension in North China and South China.

Evaluating adherence to recommended diets in adults 1991-2015: revised China dietary guidelines index

BACKGROUND

The China Dietary Guidelines Index (CDGI) is a diet quality evaluation index that can present the overall diet quality and is comparable between individuals. The aim of this study was to revise CDGI for Chinese adults according to the Chinese Dietary Guidelines 2016 (CDG-2016), evaluate adherence to recommended diets between 1991 and 2015, and analyze the trend, variation, and determinants of diet quality.

METHODS

Food, cooking oil, and condiment intakes were estimated based on twenty-four-hour dietary recalls over three consecutive days and the household weighing method. Based on the food and nutrients recommendations for people with different energy requirements in CDG-2016, CDGI was revised as China Dietary Guidelines Index (2019)-Adults (CDGI(2019)-A) by equal weight continuity scoring. Three-level random intercept-slope growth models were applied to analyze the trend, variation, and determinants at both the community and individual levels.

RESULTS

CDGI(2019)-A, the sum of fourteen component scores with a range of 0-110 points, increased significantly from 38.2 in 1991 to 47.3 in 2015. Components with a score of less than half were milk (91.6%), fruits (72.0%), nuts (82.5%), other cereals and beans (82.6%), and seafood (77.7%). Between-individual accounted for 25.6% of the total score variation, of which 87.4% derived from the community level. CDGI(2019)-A score displayed a positive association with being female, having higher education, having higher income, living in an urban area, and knowing the CDG-2016 recommendations. The impact of income and awareness of CDG-2016 varied significantly across communities.

CONCLUSIONS

Although quality of diet has been improving in China, overall quality remains poor, primarily because of inadequate intake of milk and dairy products, nuts, fruits, other cereals and miscellaneous beans, and seafood. Intervention at the community level may improve diet quality more efficiently than at the individual level, and the most effective intervention should be selected in different communities according to local conditions.

Association of Smoking-Related Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) with Nutritional Status and Diet Quality: A Cross-Sectional Study in China

Background

Smoking is the second leading cause of death. Limited studies are available about smoking and overall diet quality. The current study was aimed at finding an association of s-KAP (smoking-related knowledge, attitude, and practices) with nutritional status and diet quality.

Methodology

The current study was a cross-sectional community-based study conducted in Jurong city, China. Validated questionnaires were used for the collection of data regarding s-KAP and dietary intake. Correlation and multivariate linear regression analysis were used for the association of s-KAP scores with diet quality scores and nutritional status.

Results

The total numbers of participants were 7998 with a mean age of 59.3±11.4 years, including 38.5% males and 41.5% females. s-KAP scores were categorized into two groups, i.e., High s-KAP group and low s-KAP group. The High s-KAP group had significantly higher (P<0.05) diet scores and BMI but lower (P<0.05) WC (waist circumference) and WHR (waist to hip ratio) than the Low s-KAP group. Independent positive association (P<0.05) of s-KAP scores with diet scores was observed after the adjustment for age, gender, physical activity, alcohol consumptions, monthly income, and anthropometric measures (BMI, WC, and WHR). Similarly, smoking was positively associated (P<0.05) with diet scores after adjustment for covariates.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the higher s-KAP scores indicated more knowledge regarding the harmful consequences of the smoking outcomes, positive attitude, less smoking practices, and having a good plan to quit smoking. Individuals with high s-KAP scores had good diet quality and lower adiposity measures. Furthermore, s-KAP scores and smoking status were having an independent positive association with diet scores.

Regional Disparities in the Association between Cereal Consumption and Metabolic Syndrome: Results from the China Health and Nutrition Survey

This study examines regional disparities in the association between cereal consumption and metabolic syndrome (MetS) among Chinese adults. We used data from the longitudinal China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) for 2892 healthy adults aged 18⁻75 years (1088 in northern China, 1804 in southern China) who had no non-communicable chronic diseases or MetS at the initial visit in 2009 and the follow-up in 2015. We used a 74-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to assess the dietary intake. We defined MetS according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. Multiple logistic regressions stratified by region were performed to estimate the association between cereal consumption and the risk of MetS, and the quantile regression analyzed the relationship between cereal consumption and individual components of MetS in 2015. The rice consumption in southern China (9.00 kg/month) was more than twice that in northern China (3.60 kg/month). Consumption of wheat and wheat products in northern China (4.20 kg/month) was more than twice that in southern China (1.50 kg/month). After we adjusted for potential confounders, rice consumption was inversely associated with a risk of MetS 0.709 (95% CI: 0.458⁻1.003), the intake of wheat and wheat products was positively associated with a risk of MetS 1.925 (95% CI: 1.292⁻2.867) in southern China. We found no association between the intake of cereal and the prevalence of MetS in northern China. The quantile regression showed that various cereals were differentially associated with the components of MetS. The association between cereal consumption and the risk of MetS, and the components of MetS varied across these two regions of China.