Abstract
BackgroundChronic conditions are a leading cause of death and disability worldwide and respective data on dietary patterns remain scant. The present study aimed to investigate dietary patterns and identify sociodemographic factors associated with Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) scores within a multi-ethnic population with various chronic conditions.MethodsThe present study utilised data from the 2019-2020 Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices study on diabetes in Singapore – a nationwide survey conducted to track the knowledge, attitudes, and practices pertaining to diabetes. The study analysed data collected from a sample of 2,895 Singapore residents, with information from the sociodemographic section, DASH diet screener, and the modified version of the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) version 3.0 checklist of chronic physical conditions.ResultsRespondents with no chronic condition had a mean DASH score of 18.5 (±4.6), those with one chronic condition had a mean DASH score of 19.2 (±4.8), and those with two or more chronic conditions had a mean DASH score of 19.8 (±5.2). Overall, the older age groups [35– 49 years (B = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.23 – 2.33, p <0.001), 50–64 years (B = 2.86, 95% CI: 22.24 – 3.47, p <0.001) and 65 years and above (B = 3.45, 95% CI: 2.73 – 4.17, p <0.001)], Indians (B = 2.54, 95% CI: 2.09 – 2.98, p <0.001) reported better diet quality, while males (B = -1.50, 95% CI: -1.87 – -1.14, p <0.001) reported poorer diet quality versus females.ConclusionOverall, respondents with two or more chronic conditions reported better quality of diet while the sociodemographic factors of age, gender and ethnicity demonstrated a consistent pattern in correlating with diet quality, consistent with the extant literature. Results provide further insights for policymakers to refine ongoing efforts in relation to healthy dietary practices for Singapore.
Highlights
Chronic conditions are a leading cause of death and disability worldwide and respective data on dietary patterns remain scant
Chinese respondents made up 75.8% of the sample distribution, Malays 12.7%, Indians 8.6%, and Others 2.9%. 51.6% of the respondents were female, and Body Mass Index (BMI) scores indicated that 53.4% of the respondents were in the normal range based on World Health Organisation (WHO) BMI classification. 46.2% had no chronic physical condition, 26.3% had one chronic physical condition, and 27.2% had two or more chronic physical conditions
Respondents who were less educated [primary and below (B = -1.99, 95% CI: -2.69 – -1.29, p
Summary
Chronic conditions are a leading cause of death and disability worldwide and respective data on dietary patterns remain scant. Chronic conditions are an ongoing cause of substantial ill health, disability, and premature death, making them an important global, national, and individual health concern [2]. Based on the latest statistics from the World Health Organization, it is estimated that the contribution of major chronic conditions toward death and global burden of disease is approximately 71% as of 2021 [3]. One in three adults live with multiple chronic conditions (MCC) [4], a figure that is expected to rise significantly with studies suggesting that the proportion of patients with four or more diseases is expected to double by 2035 in countries such as the United Kingdom [5]. Average per capita health care spending increases exponentially with the number of chronic conditions – a figure estimated at $1,081 for people with no chronic conditions to $5,074 for those with two chronic conditions and $14,768 for people with five or more chronic conditions [11]
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