Dietary Patterns of Greek Adults and Their Associations with Serum Vitamin D Levels and Heel Quantitative Ultrasound Parameters for Bone Health.

Effimia Grigoriou,Konstantinos Apostolou-Karampelis,Konstantinos Makris,George Dedoussis,Ismene Dontas,George Trovas,Nikolaos Papaioannou

doi:10.3390/nu12010123

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the dietary patterns which indicate the nutritional habits of Greek adults and their effects on serum 25(OH)D levels and quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters for bone health. This study is part of OSTEOS, an observational cross-sectional study. In total, 741 adults from rural and urban areas throughout Greece were recruited. A validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used for assessment of the population’s dietary habits. Serum 25(OH)D was measured by enzyme immunoassay; QUS parameters were assessed with an Achilles device. Principal component analysis (PCA) was carried out for dietary pattern determination, and univariate analysis of variance was used for the assessment of 25(OH)D, broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA), speed of sound (SOS), and stiffness index (SI) determinants. Six dietary patterns explain 52.2% of the variability of Greek adults’ nutritional habits. The ‘vegetables–fruit’ dietary pattern explains the biggest rate of variability. Determinants of serum 25(OH)D are body mass index (BMI), elderly status, summer sun exposure, organized physical activity, a ‘healthy’ pattern in winter months, and adherence to a ‘sweet’ pattern. Determinants of QUS parameters are age, BMI, sedentary time, organized physical activity participation, and adherence to a ‘healthy’ pattern.

Highlights

The role of nutrition in health and its effect on several phenotypes is widely known
Concerning the nutritional habits of population, six dietary patterns were derived from Principal component analysis (PCA) analysis
Higher absolute values of the score coefficients derived from PCA indicate that the food contributes more to the development of the component

Summary

Introduction

The role of nutrition in health and its effect on several phenotypes is widely known. Nutrient consumption and dietary habits affect bone health during the life span, both in peak bone mass achievement and its preservation during adulthood. Nutrients may have a beneficial action on the skeleton or aggravate the bone health [1]. The key role of several nutrients and food items like calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K, vitamin A, protein, polyunsaturated lipids, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, caffeine, alcohol, and phytoestrogen, as well as dairy products, fruits, and vegetables in bone health has been thoroughly studied [2,3,4,5,6,7]. Humans consume a complex combination of nutrients that have a cumulative and interactive effect in their meals, related to several phenotypes or health outcomes.

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