Seasonal variation in dietary intake and its association with obesity-related chronic diseases in northeast China

Abstract

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to assess seasonal changes in dietary and nutrient intake of residents (18-75 years old) in Northeast China during summer and winter, and to explore the associations between fatty acids, phytosterols, and the prevalence of obesity-related chronic diseases, particularly obesity, hyperlipidemia, and NAFLD. Methods A total of 4773 participants from the Internet-based Dietary Questionnaire for Chinese (IDQC) were included in this study. Dietary intake information was collected using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Student’s t-test or Mann-Whitney U-test was used to analyze continuous variables, while Chi-squared tests were used to compare categorical variables. Multivariable logistic regression was employed to assess the relationship between fatty acids, phytosterols, and obesity-related chronic diseases. Results The mean consumption of legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, dairy products, fish, condiments, energy, protein, fat, and carbohydrate differed significantly between summer and winter (P < 0.05). Significant inverse associations were found between both fatty acids and phytosterols and obesity-related chronic diseases in multivariate adjusted models. Summer polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) intake was negatively associated with the prevalence of hyperlipidemia (Q4, OR, 0.515; 95%CI, 0.283-0.921; P < 0.05) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (Q4, OR, 0.331; 95%CI, 0.176-0.599; P < 0.001). Phytosterols intake was negatively associated with the prevalence of obesity (Q4, OR, 0.603; 95%CI, 0.414-0.873; P < 0.05), hyperlipidemia (Q4, OR, 0.420; 95%CI, 0.233-0.731; P < 0.001), and NAFLD (Q4, OR, 0.206; 95%CI, 0.111-0.360; P < 0.001) during the summer. Conclusions Higher PUFA intake was associated with a lower prevalence of obesity, hyperlipidemia, and NAFLD. Phytosterol intake was inversely associated with the prevalence of hyperlipidemia and NAFLD. These findings suggest that the associations between PUFA and phytosterols and the prevalence of obesity-related chronic diseases may be influenced by seasonal differences in food intake.