Quality of diet and odds of metabolic syndrome in Iranian adults: Baseline results from the PERSIAN Kavar cohort study (PKCS)

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Diet quality has been associated with multiple chronic diseases. We aimed to investigate the association between the quality of diet and the odds of being diagnosed with MetS.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This study was conducted cross-sectionally on baseline data of 2225 individuals from the PERSIAN Kavar Cohort Study (PKCS). The quality of diet was measured based on the Diet Quality Index - International (DQI-I), using Food Frequency Questionnaires. The association between DQI-I and MetS and its components was measured via logistic regression models in crude and adjusted models. We did not observe any association between DQI-I and MetS in the overall population. However, after adjustment for potential confounders, we found that male participants with higher DQI-I scores had a lower risk of MetS [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 95% confidence interval CI) = 0.62 (0.42-0.93)]. Moreover, analogous trends were observed with respect to some components of MetS, including elevated triglyceride (TG) [crude OR (95% CI) = 0.89 (0.70-0.98); adjusted OR = 0.82 (0.65-0.93)], lowered high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) [crude OR (95% CI) = 0.79 (0.57-0.99); adjusted OR = 0.76 (0.55-0.97)], and abnormal glucose homeostasis [crude OR (95% CI) = 0.80 (0.55-0.94); adjusted OR = 0.73 (0.51-0.91)] only in male participants, both before and after adjustment for potential confounders.

CONCLUSION

In this study, we showed that higher adherence to a high-quality diet was associated with a lower chance of developing MetS in men. Biological gender might be responsible for the observed discrepancies.

The association between meal-based diet quality index-international (DQI-I) with obesity in adults

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Due to the growing global trend of obesity, it is necessary to study the diet quality as a modifiable factor to reduce the dangerous consequences of obesity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the association between meal-based diet quality index-international (DQI-I) with obesity in adults.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was performed on 850 men and women in Tehran (aged 20-59 y). Dietary intakes were assessed using three 24-h dietary recalls. Meal-based Diet quality was assessed based on the construction of DQI-I. The total DQI-I score ranged from 0 to 100, with higher scores denoting better diet quality. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the association of DQI-I and BMI in each meal and Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association of DQI-I and obesity in each meal.

RESULTS

The mean (± SD) of age, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist to hip ratio (WHR) were 42.35(± 10.90) years, 27.32(± 5.61) kg/m2, 89.09 (± 12.04) cm and 0.86 (± 0.11), respectively. In none of the meals, after adjusting for confounders, no significant difference in BMI was observed in the both women and men groups. After controlling of confounders, there was not any relationship between meal-based DQI-I and BMI resulted from multiple linear regression analysis also there was not any significant association between meal-based DQI-I and obesity resulted from Logistic regression analysis.

CONCLUSION

In this study, we did not find any significant association between meal-specified DQI with obesity. To reach the better evaluation, more prospective studies with large sample size are needed.

Diet Quality: A Neglected Parameter in Children With Food Allergies. A Cross-Sectional Study

Background-Objective: With recent evidence suggesting that growth is no longer considered a major issue in children with food allergies (FA) on elimination diet, priority has shifted to diet quality to establish healthy eating patterns and prevent non-communicable diseases. The Diet Quality Index - International (DQI-I) could be useful for assessing the overall diet quality of FA-children. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of elimination diet on DQI-I in children with FA and the accuracy of DQI-I in reflecting nutrient intake. Materials-methods: In a prospective, cross-sectional, cohort study of FA-children (2-14 years), nutritional intake was evaluated using a 7-day food frequency questionnaire, 24-h dietary recall, and the DQI-I. Results: Of the 76 children recruited, 44.7% had multiple allergies. Mean overall DQI-I score was 52 points, with only 28% of participants having good overall DQI-I (≥60 points). DQI-I moderation and balance were the most affected domains. Participants with multiple allergies had higher DQI-I moderation and balance and lower vitamin D and Ca intake. Compared to toddlers, schoolchildren had higher DQI-I variety and lower moderation and received higher vitamin B2, vitamin B12, Ca, P, and Zn. The number of allergies, age, and milk avoidance were independently associated with adjusted DQI-I moderation and balance, energy, and certain micronutrient intake. Higher percentages of participants with good DQI-I received adequate amounts of Mn and vitamins A, B6, C, and folate than those with poor DQI-I. Conclusions: In children with FA on elimination diet, the DQI-I accurately captured the deflection of diet quality related to the development of chronic, non-communicable diseases through its moderation and balance components. This is DQI-I's main purpose as a healthy diet indicator and as such it would be a useful tool responding to the needs of the contemporary shifting of priorities in FA-children's diet from quantity to quality. Nevertheless, it does not accurately reflect the intake of certain micronutrients potentially compromised by elimination diets. Therefore, regular nutritional assessment utilizing both the DQI-I and tools assessing individual nutrient intakes along with professional nutrition counseling should be integral parts of the individualized management of children with FA to ensure adequate nutrient intake and establish healthy dietary patterns.