Diet Quality Index Research Articles

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Its Association With Sleep Quality and Chronotype Among Youth: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BackgroundEvidence indicates that many university students have poor adherence to a healthy diet accompanied by unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. Chrono-nutrition is an emerging field of research that examines the pattern of optimum daily activity in relation to the human's dietary patterns, and their reflections of variable health indicators such as sleep quality. However, there is a scarcity of research that examines the relationship between adherence to the healthy eating pattern, like the Mediterranean diet (MD), with sleep quality and chronotype among university students.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted, and convenience sampling was used. Participants were assessed for adherence to the MD using the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED), for sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and for chronotype using the Morningness-Eveningness questionnaire (MEQ).ResultsThe study included 503 university students, most of them (81.5%) were females. Only 15.1 and 16.9% reported morningness chronotype and good sleep quality, respectively. About half of the students showed medium and high adherence to the KIMED. In-depth analysis revealed that students with good adherence to the MD were more likely to have a good sleep quality (OR = 0.35; 95%CI: 0.21–0.59; P < 0.001) even after adjustment for age and sex (OR = 0.36; 95%CI: 0.21–0.62; P < 0.001). The regression analysis also showed that those with good adherence to the MD had a significant association with better subjective sleep quality, less sleep latency, sleep disturbance, and daytime dysfunction even after adjustment for age and sex. Those with morningness chronotype had about a six-fold higher chance to have good adherence to the MD (OR = 5.67; 95%CI: 2.86–11.26; P < 0.001, respectively).ConclusionsGood adherence to the healthy diet presented in the MD among university students is associated with morningness chronotype and with improved overall sleep quality and sleep components. Long-term, controlled intervention research works are warranted for more elaboration on the impact of chronotype and dietary habits on sleep quality and other important aspects such as mental health and academic achievement.

Adölesanlarda Akdeniz Diyetine Uyum ile Meyve ve Sebze Tüketim Davranışlarının Değerlendirilmesi

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the adherence of adolescents to the Mediterranean diet and to determine their behaviors of fruit and vegetable consumption. &#x0D; Methods: The study involved 487 adolescents studying at high school in Ankara, Turkey. The study data were collected by using the questionnaire form involving general characteristics, anthropometric measurements, dietary habits, the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED), and the Scale of Processes of Change for Fruit and Vegetable Consumption (SPCFVC). The SPCFVC has two sub-dimensions, cognitive and behavioral. Independent Sample-t test, ANOVA, Mann-Whitney-U test, Kruskal-Wallis-H test, Pearson χ2- test, and Spearman correlation coefficient were used to analyze the data.&#x0D; Results: Among the participants, 51.5% were females and 48.5% were males. Of these, 11.1% were overweight and 1.9% were obese. The mean KIDMED, total SPCFVC, and behavioral SPCFVC scores were higher among males than females (p

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet among Children and Youth in the Mediterranean Region in Croatia: A Comparative Study.

The Mediterranean diet (MD) is considered one of the healthiest dietary patterns. The aim of this study was to assess MD adherence in children and youth living in the Mediterranean region in Croatia and evaluate the differences in adherence to the MD among different educational stages. In total, 2722 individuals aged 2 to 24 years were enrolled in this study. Subjects were divided into different groups according to the Croatian educational system. Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) was used to assess adherence to the MD. In the total sample, the adherence to the MD was poor in 19.2%, average in 60.8%, and good in 20.1% of the study participants. The prevalence rate of poor adherence to the MD increased with higher educational stage, i.e., the highest prevalence rate of poor MD adherence was observed for college students (39.3%). Children having a higher number of snacks on days-off, those with lower physical activity, and not having breakfast together with a family are more likely to have poor MD adherence, while children having a higher number of snacks on working days are less likely to have a poor MD. The results of this study showed low adherence to the principles of the MD, confirming the need for improvement of adherence to the MD pattern in the studied population.

The Association of Dietary Intake with Arterial Stiffness and Vascular Ageing in a Population with Intermediate Cardiovascular Risk-A MARK Study.

The aim of this study was to analyse the association of diet with arterial stiffness and vascular ageing in a Caucasian population with intermediate cardiovascular risk. We recruited 2475 individuals aged 35–75 years with intermediate cardiovascular risk. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) was measured using a VaSera VS-1500® device. Vascular ageing was defined in two steps. Step 1: The 20 individuals who presented kidney disease, peripheral arterial disease, or heart failure were classified as early vascular ageing (EVA). Step 2: The individuals with percentiles by age and sex above the 90th percentile of baPWV among the participants of this study were classified as EVA, and the rest of the individuals were classified as non-EVA. The diet of the participants was analysed with two questionnaires: (1) the diet quality index (DQI) questionnaire and (2) the Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence questionnaire. The mean age of the sample was 61.34 ± 7.70 years, and 61.60% were men. Adherence to the MD was 53.30%. The DQI was 54.90%. Of the entire sample, 10.70% (11.15% of the men and 9.95% of the women) were EVA. In the multiple linear regression analysis, for each additional point in the DQI questionnaire, there was a decrease of −0.081 (95%CI (confidence intervals) −0.105–−0.028) in baPWV; in the MD adherence questionnaire, there was a decrease of −0.052 (95%CI −0141–−0.008). When performing the analysis, separated by sex, the association remained significant in men but not in women. In the logistic regression analysis, there was an increase in MD adherence and a decrease in the probability of presenting EVA, both with the DQI questionnaire (OR (odds ratio) = 0.65; 95%CI 0.50–0.84) and with the MD adherence questionnaire (OR = 0.75; 95%CI 0.58–0.97). In the analysis by sex, the association was only maintained in men (with DQI, OR = 0.54; 95%CI 0.37–0.56) (with MD, OR = 0.72; 95%CI 0.52–0.99). The results of this study suggest that a greater score in the DQI and MD adherence questionnaires is associated with lower arterial stiffness and a lower probability of presenting EVA. In the analysis by sex, this association is only observed in men.

Association between dietary quality indices and serum polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides levels among Lebanese adults.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) remain a global concern in both developed and developing countries. Given that diet constitutes the major route of exposure to these pollutants, the objective of the current study is to investigate PCBs and OCPs serum levels in relation to dietary quality indices in a sample of Lebanese adults. Sociodemographic, nutritional, and anthropometric data were obtained from 302 participants in face-to-face interviews. Nutritional intakes from a previously validated quantitative 164-item food frequency questionnaire were used to calculate six a priori dietary indices: Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015), alternate Healthy Eating Index (aHEI), Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I), Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (Med-DQI), Med-DQIf, Mediterranean Diet Scale (MDS), and Mediterranean Diet Score (MedDietScore). Serum levels of six indicator PCBs (PCBs 28, 52, 101, 138, 153, 180) and four OCPs (HCB, β-HCH, DDT, and DDE) were investigated in relation to diet quality indices. Individuals with a higher adherence to the HEI-2015 and to the Mediterranean diet assessed by the Med-DQI/Med-DQIf displayed increased levels of OCPs (HCB, βHCH, DDT, and DDE). An inverted U-shaped association was observed between DQI-I and PCBs serum levels (PCBs 138, 153, 180, and ƩPCBs). This is the first study in the Middle East and North Africa region to investigate the association between POPs serum levels and a substantial number of a priori dietary indices. The impact of different food combinations and nutrient interactions on pollutants body burden and toxicity remains to be established in future studies.

Nutritional Status and its Associations with Eating Behavior and Diet Quality among Adult: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: Obesity among adults is a significant public health problem. Diet quality might be influenced by eating behavior and is associated with nutritional status, but research is lacking in obese adults in Indonesia. AIM: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between eating behavior, diet quality, and obesity. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 144 respondents (39.6% males and 60.4% females), aged 39.07 ± 5.48 years, who were selected using stratified random sampling from five subdistrict in Malang City, East Java, Indonesia. The eating behavior score was calculated using the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) and the diet quality using the Diet Quality Index International (DQI-I) from SQ-FFQ. Association of eating behavior, diet quality, and nutritional status was analyzed using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The study showed that the prevalence of obesity among female adults was higher (31.9%) than males (18.8%). The female participant had a two-fold higher likelihood of being overweight or obese than the male participant (OR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.077; 4.071, p &lt; 0.05). The average diet quality score was 57.99 ± 7.26 or 80% from a total score of 100. There was no significant difference in total DQI-I and component scores, including variety, adequacy, moderation, and overall balance across nutritional status and sex, p &gt; 0.005. The poor-diet quality was higher in the overweight and obesity group (43.75 %) than the normal group (16.67%). There was a statistically significant difference of restrained eating with overweight and obesity status (p &lt; 0.05) with OR 2,652 (CI 95% 1.149; 6.119) and female (OR 2.496, CI 95% 1.195; 5.212, p &lt; 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It can be concluded that obesity was prevalent in female adults, and there is a relationship between obesity and restraint eating among adults. Future studies should examine the causal effects of eating behaviors on quality diet and in the development of obesity.

Associations between Cultural Identity, Household Membership and Diet Quality among Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Filipino Infants in Hawai'i.

Public health efforts to reduce diet-related health disparities experienced by indigenous peoples could be enhanced by efforts to improve complementary infant feeding practices. The latter is possible through interventions informed by cultural determinants. This cross-sectional secondary analysis explored possible determinants of the complementary feeding practices of Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and/or Filipino infants (NHPIF) in Hawaiʻi, ages 3–12 months. The objective was to determine the association between caregiver cultural identity and infant household membership with indicators of infant diet healthfulness. The cultural identities, infant household memberships, early infant feeding practices and additional demographic information (infant age and sex, household income) were assessed via an online questionnaire. Surrogate reporting of the infants’ diets over four days was evaluated using an image-based mobile food record (mFR). Data collected by the mFR were evaluated to derive the World Health Organization’s minimum dietary diversity (MDD) indicator and food group consumption. Data were summarized by descriptive statistics and analyzed using multivariate linear and logistic regressions. Seventy infant participants, ages 3–12 months, and their primary caregivers completed the study. Of these, there were 56 infant participants between the age of 6–12 months. Approximately 10% of infants, ages 6–12 months, met MDD for all four days. Meeting MDD and the number of food groups consumed were significantly associated with age. Caregiver cultural identity, infant household membership and infant sex had non-significant associations with indicators of infant diet quality. Findings inform the influences shaping dietary patterns of Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and Filipino infants in Hawaiʻi.

Diet Quality Indices in Relation to Cardiovascular Risk Factors in T2DM Patients: A Systematic Review.

Background:Dietary quality indices are practical as an instrument to investigate the extent of adhering to a special diet to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Considering the lack of any systematic review with regards to this issue, our aim was to examine observational studies to test the relationship between dietary quality indices and CVD risk factors in T2DM.Methods:Systematic search was performed in Web of knowledge, PubMed, Cochrane, Science direct, Google Scholar and Scopus databases from January 1990 to July 2020. The studies exploring the relationship between dietary quality indices (diet quality score (DQS), dietary diversity score (DDS), healthy diet indicator (HDI), healthy eating index (HEI), diet quality index (DQI), Mediterranean diet score (MDS)) and lipid profile, anthropometric indices, glucose profile as well as blood pressure were eligible to be included in this review. Overall, mean changes, odd ratio (RR), correlation coefficients, and beta coefficient of outcomes were extracted, with the quality assessment of studies performed applying The Newcastle-Ottawa scale.Results:From among 1627 papers, 10 articles were included: Eight cross-sectional and two prospective (cohort) studies. The association between HEI as well as MDS and CVD risk factors was more evident in the included studies. Fasting blood sugar, hemoglobin A1c, body mass index, and waist circumference revealed the greatest inverse significant relationship with dietary quality indices in adults with T2DM.Conclusion:Overall, the findings of this study suggest that the level of CVD risk factors in T2DM decreases significantly with increase in the score of dietary quality indices. Further studies in future are required to confirm these findings.

Association of diet quality score with the risk of mild cognitive impairment in the elderly.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVESAlthough adherence to a higher diet quality may help prevent cognitive decline in older adults, literature for this in a Korean population is limited. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the association between diet quality indices and the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Korean older adults.SUBJECTS/METHODSThis cross-sectional study included 806 community-dwelling people aged 60 yrs and over in Korea. Diet quality was assessed via the revised Recommended Food Score (RFS) and alternate Mediterranean Diet Score (aMDS). Cognitive function was measured using a Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-KC). Associations between diet quality indices and MMSE-KC score were assessed with a general linear model after adjusting for covariates. Logistic regression was used to determine the association between diet quality indices and the risk of MCI.RESULTSThe prevalence of MCI was 35.3%. There were no significant trends between MMSE-KC scores and RFS and aMDS after adjusting for age, gender, education, exercise, living status, social activity, and alcohol drinking. Among total subjects, RFS was inversely associated with the risk of MCI after adjusting for covariates (Q5 vs. Q1; odds ratio [OR], 0.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.28–0.83). Among total subjects and men, aMDS was inversely related to the risk of MCI after adjusting for covariates (Q5 vs. Q1; OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.29–0.89 for total subjects; Q5 vs. Q1; OR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.15–0.83 for men).CONCLUSIONSOur results demonstrate that high diet quality evaluated by RFS and aMDS is inversely associated with the risk of MCI. Thus, high quality diet may reduce or retard cognitive decline in the old population. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine the causal relationship between diet quality and the risk of MCI in the elderly.

Diet quality index and its components have not associated with the development of breast cancer risk assessed by the diet quality index: a case-control study

RESUMO Objetivo: Avaliar se a qualidade da dieta e seus componentes estão associados ao desenvolvimento de câncer de mama. Métodos: Trata-se de estudo caso-controle com a participação de 332 mulheres, sendo 114 casos e 218 controles. Os grupos foram pareados por idade, índice de massa corporal e estado menopausal. A qualidade da dieta foi avaliada pelo Índice de Qualidade da Dieta Revisado (IQD-R) e seus componentes. O consumo alimentar foi mensurado por meio da aplicação de três recordatórios alimentares de 24 horas e analisados no software NDS-R. Foi realizada regressão logística ajustada, estimativa de odds ratio (OR) e intervalo de confiança de 95% (IC95%), com valor de p&lt;0,05. Resultados: A pontuação do IQD-R, classificada em quartis, não diferiu entre os grupos no quartil inferior de qualidade da dieta (p=0,853). Os componentes cereais totais (p=0,038), gordura saturada (p=0,039) e Gord_AA (gordura, álcool e açúcar de adição) (p=0,023) tiveram maior pontuação no grupo caso. Já a pontuação de frutas totais (p=0,010) e leites e derivados (p=0,039) foi maior no grupo controle. Os componentes do IQD-R, assim como a qualidade da dieta, não se associaram ao desfecho investigado. Conclusão: A qualidade da dieta, avaliada pelo IQD-R e os seus componentes, não se associou ao câncer de mama.

Protein food avoidance behaviour among cancer patients - perspectives of nutrient intake and diet quality.

Previous study reported that high proportion of Chinese cancer patients practise food avoidance behaviour for fear of cancer recurrence. The present study aims at documenting the degree of food avoidance behaviours and its association with nutrient intake and diet quality among Chinese cancer patients. Cross-sectional face-to-face interviews were conducted with 245 patients suffering from nasopharyngeal and colorectal cancer to investigate their food avoidance behaviour. Participant's nutrient intake was assessed by 3-day diet record. Diet quality was measured by Diet Quality Index - International (DQI-I). As many as 86% cancer participants reported practicing food avoidance behaviours. The nutrients to which less than half of the participants met its daily requirement include vitamin D (0%), vitamin E (0.4%), calcium (7.8%), zinc (26.1%) and vitamin B1 (32.2%). Among all participants, only 47.8% met their daily energy requirement. Those reported having high degree of food avoidance behaviours are more likely to have low intake of protein, zinc and iron. However, there was no association between FAB and overall diet quality although the Variety subscale of DQI-I showed that food avoidance behaviours negatively link to participant's dietary sources of protein. Degree of practicing food avoidance behaviour is negatively associated with nutrients of animal origin, in particular protein. However, the overall diet quality was not affected by such. The study results provided important information to frontline clinical workers who are dealing with cancer patients practising non-mainstream diet.

Diet quality index and its components have not associated with the development of breast cancer risk assessed by the diet quality index: a case-control study.

To investigate if the diet quality and its components are associated with breast cancer risk. A case-control study was conducted with 332 women, 114 who were diagnosed with breast cancer, and 218 control individuals. Groups were matched for age, body mass index, and menopausal status. The quality of diet was assessed using Brazilian Healthy Eating Index Revised (BHEI-R) and its components. Food consumption was measured through three 24-h dietary recalls and assessed using the NDS-R software. For statistical analyses, it was performed an adjusted logistic regression, estimation of the Odds Ratio (OR), and 95% confidence interval (95%CI), with a p-value <0.05. The BHEI-R score, classified into quartiles, did not differ between groups in the lowest quartile of diet quality (p=0.853). The components total cereals (p=0.038), saturated fat (p=0.039) and Gord_AA (fat, alcohol, and added sugar) (p=0.023) had higher scores among the case group. The scores for total fruits (p=0.010) and milk and dairy products (p=0.039) were higher among the control group. The BHEI-R components and the quality of diet were not associated with the outcome. Diet quality, assessed by the BHEI-R and its components, was not associated with breast cancer.

The Quality Index for Nutrition in Nursing Homes (QUINN). A new tool for evaluating diet quality in long-term care homes.

Background: the assessment of diet quality (DQ) is fundamental to the study of disease-diet associations, and it is necesary to implement an easy to-apply tool in nursing homes (NHs). Our objective was to propose and apply a novel diet quality indicator (DQIn) using an a priori approach for NHs. Methods: the QUality Index for Nutrition in Nursing homes (QUINN) was implemented in a public NH located in Valladolid, Spain, during a 5-week period (n = 137 subjects). The choice of the QUINN components was based on a rapid review. The QUINN was based on 15 dietary components - 12 were basic (vegetables, fruits, legumes, olive oil, cereals, dairy, white fish and seafood, white-meat, eggs/positive; other fats, red and processed meat, and sweets/negative), and 3 were supplementary (fruits and vegetables variety, oily-fish, and whole-grains/positive). Each component was classified into 4-categories (0, 1, 2 o 3 points; range: 0-45 points). Results: the QUINN was tested on a menu offered by a NH giving a result of 34 points (good diet). The components with the highest scores were related to the Mediterranean diet (high consumption of legumes, olive oil, white fish and shellfish; low intake of other fats; and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables), together with cereals, white meat, dairy, and eggs. The components that required a major change were red- and processed-meats, sweets, and whole grains. Conclusion: the menu of this Spanish NH showed a good DQ according to the QUINN. The assessment of the DQ in NHs using QUINN will allow the proposal of interventions aimed at improving their diet.

Parental and Child Factors Associated With 2- to 6-Year-Old Children's Diet Quality in Finland.

There is limited evidence about diet quality and associated factors in a representative population-based sample of preschool-aged children in Finland. The aims of this study were to investigate (1) the extent to which child diet quality and the consumption of health indicator foods (vegetables, fruits, berries, vegetable oil-based spread, nonfat milk) are in accordance with Finnish recommendations for preschool-aged children, (2) whether diet quality differs between children with underweight or normal weight compared with children with overweight or obesity, and (3) whether parental or child factors are related to children's diet quality. This was a cross-sectional study. Healthy children aged 2 to 6 years (n = 766) were recruited from child health clinics across Finland from February to June 2016. Diet quality and consumption of the health indicator foods were assessed by the Children's Index of Diet Quality (CIDQ, score 0-21, values < 10 indicate poor; 10-13.5, moderate; and ≥14, good diet quality). Parental information was collected with a self-administered questionnaire. Child weight and height were measured by child health clinic nurses. The overweight/obesity status and diet quality of the children were compared with 1-way analysis of variance. One-way analysis of variance was used as the preliminary analysis between child and parental factors and CIDQ scores, and linear mixed model analysis to further analyze the relationship between child and parental factors and CIDQ data. Only a small minority (13.7%) of the children had a good diet quality, 55.4% had a moderate diet quality, and 30.9% had a poor diet quality. Only 1% of the children consumed the key health indicator foods, namely vegetables, fruits, and berries, as recommended. Diet quality did not differ between children with underweight/normal weight and overweight/obesity. Instead, the child's younger age, parents' higher education, and parents' self-perceived healthy diet were related to good diet quality in the child. The diet quality was moderate or poor in the majority of the children. Parental characteristics were the main factors related to the child's diet quality. The results suggest that future efforts to improve preschool-aged children's diet quality are needed including efforts to counsel families in pediatric care. Whether the findings from the current study also apply to Finnish school-aged children should be investigated further.

Quality of the diet of pregnant women in the scope of Primary Health Care

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the quality of the diet of the pregnant women monitored by the Family Health Strategy teams and associated factors. Methods This is a population-based cross-sectional study, carried out with 1244 pregnant women between 2018 and 2019. The Diet Quality Index Adapted for Pregnant Women was used to measure the quality of the diet and associate it with risk factors (sociodemographic, obstetric, clinical, behavioral, nutritional status) during the pregnancy. A hierarchical model composed of three blocks was used. A multinomial logistic regression was applied. Results The general average of this Diet Quality Index was 72.75 points, the average of the 1st tercile was 56.06 points, the average of the 2nd tercile was 73.71 points and the average of the 3rd was 88.51 points. The worst diet quality was related to pregnant women with lower education (OR=2.36; 95% CI=1.39-4.01), sedentary women (OR=1.37; 95% CI=1.17-2, 61), those who had a negative self-perception of food (OR=2.00; 95% CI=1.45-2.76) and who had 3 to 5 meals a day (OR=1.83; 95% CI=1.26-2.77), and less than 3 (OR=2.64; 95% CI=1.13-6.18). Conclusion The present study identified that pregnant women with less education, sedentary, and with inadequate nutritional characteristics presented worse diet qualities.

Regional disparities related to cardiovascular diseases and diet quality in Korean adults: based on the 2013-2016 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Data.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death in Koreans, and eating habits, including diet quality, are among the etiologies of these diseases. Recently, various studies on regional health disparities have been conducted. However, there are limited studies on their relationship with nutritional factors. This study aimed to identify the magnitude of regional disparities in diet quality and prevalence of CVD in Korean adults. This study included 17,646 participants aged ≥ 20 years from the 7th (2013-2016) Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Participants were classified into four groups based on their residential areas: City 1, City 2, City 3, and non-city. Demographic characteristics, health-related factors, body mass index (BMI), metabolic syndrome index, diet quality, and CVD prevalence were evaluated. In terms of demographic characteristics, age (P < 0.001), marital status (P < 0.001), educational level (P < 0.001), and income (P < 0.001) were lower in the non-city category. Health-related factors such as monthly drinking rate (P < 0.01) and mental stress (P < 0.05) were the highest in City 1 and lowest in the non-city group. Conversely, the current smoking rate (P < 0.05), BMI (P < 0.05), and prevalence of metabolic syndrome (P < 0.001) were the highest in the non-city group (P < 0.05). The non-city group also had the highest prevalence of CVDs (35.6%). This group had the lowest diet quality index (68.36 ± 0.22, P < 0.01), caused by low intake of fruit and calcium, a lack of sodium moderation, and an overall imbalance in the macronutrient and fatty acid ratio. When the diet quality index was increased by 1, the odds ratio for the prevalence of CVDs was reduced by 0.991 (P < 0.001), but this was not the case in all regions. This study provides useful information and data in identifying and resolving the regional health disparities related to CVD prevalence and implementation of public health nutrition systems.

Association Between Dietary Quality Indices and Atherosclerosis Risk: A Case-Control Study.

Background:Several diet quality scores have been developed to evaluate the health benefits of individual diets such as Healthy Eating Index (HEI), Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and Mediterranean diet score (Med). This study aims to determine the relationship between dominant dietary health scores with the risk of atherosclerosis in Iranian adults.Methods:This case-control study was conducted on 323 patients with atherosclerosis and 334 individuals without atherosclerosis as control group. Food Frequency Questionnaire was used for obtaining dietary intakes; then HEI, DASH score, and Med score was calculated. Logistic regression models were used to calculate Odds Ratios (OR) and 95% Confidence intervals (CI) between quartiles of the HEI, DASH and Med and atherosclerosis risk.Results:The results showed that total scores for HEI, DASH, and Med in control group was higher than the atherosclerosis group. The results also indicated that higher adherence to HEI (OR: 0.43; CI: [0.24, 0.76], P-trend = .006), DASH (OR: 0.48; CI: [0.3, 0.78], P-trend = .003), and Mediterranean pattern (OR: 0.4; CI: [0.21, 0.76]) decreased odds ratio of atherosclerosis.Conclusion:Our findings suggest that adherence to HEI, DASH, and Mediterranean diet might be associated with a lower risk of Atherosclerosis and can have a positive effect on general health and prevention of chronic diseases in people.

Dietary patterns of Chinese pregnant women in Hong Kong.

Maternal nutrition is important for healthy pregnancy, but it has not been well studied among pregnant women in Hong Kong. This study aims to examine the dietary pattern and nutritional intake of women in early pregnancy, and the associations between dietary patterns, dietary quality, and other health parameters. This is a prospective cohort study of healthy Chinese pregnant women, recruited at their first antenatal appointment. Dietary intakes were assessed by a locally validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and dietary patterns were derived by principal component analysis. Of 160 women recruited, the mean age was 32.7±3.9 years and body mass index (BMI) before pregnancy was 22.6±3.8 kg/m2. The dietary analyses were restricted to 156 women who had completed the FFQ. 99% of women had excessive sodium intake and only 2.6% of women met the recommended fibre intake. Three dietary patterns identified were 'sweet and fast-food pattern', 'prudent pattern' and 'meat pattern', which altogether accounted for 23.5% of the total variation. The 'prudent pattern' was positively associated with dietary quality indices [Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension score, ρ=0.323, p<0.01; Dietary Quality Index-International, ρ=0.400, p<0.01; Mediterranean Diet Score, ρ=0.243, p=0.02]; and was inversely associated systolic (B=-3.71, 95% CI -7.06, -0.36) and diastolic blood pressure (B=-2.69, 95% CI -5.12, -0.26), suggesting this pattern represented a relatively healthier dietary option. Suboptimal dietary intake is a common issue among pregnant women in Hong Kong. Early dietary assessment and attention are warranted in this population.

The Relationship Between the Korean Adults Diet Evaluated Using Dietary Quality Indices and Metabolic Risk Factors: Based on the 2016 ~ 2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

The Relationship Between the Korean Adults Diet Evaluated Using Dietary Quality Indices and Metabolic Risk Factors: Based on the 2016 ~ 2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Children and Adolescents in the Mediterranean and Continental Regions of Croatia

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) has been found beneficial for the prevention and treatment of various chronic non-communicable diseases; however, adherence to MD is declining, especially in the Mediterranean countries. Croatia is characteristic for having both traditionally continental and Mediterranean regions, with distinct dietary features. The aim of this study was to compare difference in adherence to MD and overall dietary intake between children and adolescents from continental and Mediterranean part of Croatia. Participants were randomly recruited children and adolescents (n=838, mean age 9.96 ± 2.09 years) located in continental and Mediterranean parts of Croatia. Three different questionnaires were distributed and collected: general questionnaire (age and gender), the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for children and adolescents (KIDMED) and 3-day food records (3DFR). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 260 (IBM Corporation, Chicago, Illinois, USA) statistical software. P values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Overall, low adherence to MD was evident in 23.1% of participants, while only 15.8% of children and adolescents had good compliance with MD. A significant difference in KIDMED score has been found between the continental (mean score 4.91 ± 2.33) and Mediterranean (mean score 5.57 ± 2.12) part of Croatia (p&amp;lt;0.001), as well as in the intake of energy and some nutrients. Moreover, participants from the Mediterranean part of Croatia had better compliance with D-A-CH recommendations for some nutrients compared to those from the continental part. Although children and adolescents from the Mediterranean part of Croatia had better adherence to MD than those from the continental part, overall, relatively poor adherence to MD was evident for both regions. Therefore, a healthy, balanced diet should be encouraged in both regions, preferably taking into account traditionally consumed and locally available foods.