Ideal Diet Score Research Articles

Prevalence of Cardiovascular Health Behaviors Among Adults: NHANES, 2011–2018

ObjectivesTo estimate the prevalence of four cardiovascular health (CVH) behaviors in a national sample of US adults and compare across age groups.MethodsThis analysis included 8,370 non-pregnant and non-lactating adults (≥20 y) who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011 to 2018. Participants included in the analysis were free of cardiovascular disease events and provided complete data for all outcomes. CVH behaviors were defined as poor, intermediate, and ideal in accordance with the criteria from the American Heart Association's (AMA's) Life's simple 7. We calculated the age-adjusted prevalence of CVH behaviors for three age groups: young (20–39 years), middle (40–59 years), and older (≥60 years). The 2010 US Census population estimates were used for age adjustment. We conducted a pairwise comparison of age-adjusted CVH behaviors. All analyses conducted accounted for the complex, multi-stage survey sampling design of the NHANES.ResultsOverall, the majority of adults were less likely to meet ideal body mass index (BMI) (28.5%) and ideal diet score (10.4%) of the four CVH health behaviors. Rather, the majority of adults were more likely to meet ideal physical activity (59.1%) and ideal smoking status (56.9%). Younger adults had higher rates of ideal BMI (36.1%), physical activity (PA) (69.2%), and smoking status (62.0%) but lower rates of ideal diet score (7.8%) compared to middle-aged and older adults. Middle-aged adults were more likely to have obesity(43.5%), have a poor diet (67.9%), and smoke (20.5%). Young adults (36.1%) were more likely to have ideal BMI compared to middle-aged (23.7%; p < 0.001) and older (24.5%; p < 0.001) adults. Older adults tended to have better ideal diet score (14.7%) compared to young (7.8%; p < 0.001) and middle-aged (10.2%; P = 0.002) adults. Older adults were also more likely to be less physically active (35.1%) compared to young (17.9%, p < 0.001) and middle-aged (25.9%, p < 0.001) adults.ConclusionsOlder adults need continuous health promotion targeting to achieve ideal cardiovascular health and younger adults need dietary improvements. This approach aligns with the AMA's 2030 Impact Goal of helping people live healthier, longer lives.Funding SourcesNone to declare.

Diet quality and attention capacity in European adolescents: the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) study.

Adolescence represents an important period for the development of executive functions, which are a set of important cognitive processes including attentional control. However, very little is known regarding the associations of nutrition with components of executive functions in adolescence. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate associations of dietary patterns and macronutrient composition with attention capacity in European adolescents. This cross-sectional study included 384 (165 boys and 219 girls) adolescents, aged 12·5-17·5 years, from five European countries in the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence study. Attention capacity was examined using the d2 Test of Attention. Dietary intake was assessed through two non-consecutive 24 h recalls using a computer-based self-administered tool. Three dietary patterns (diet quality index, ideal diet score and Mediterranean diet score) and macronutrient/fibre intakes were calculated. Linear regression analysis was conducted adjusting for age, sex, BMI, maternal education, family affluence scale, study centre and energy intake (only for Mediterranean diet score). In these adjusted regression analyses, higher diet quality index for adolescents and ideal diet score were associated with a higher attention capacity (standardised β=0·16, P=0·002 and β=0·15, P=0·005, respectively). Conversely, Mediterranean diet score or macronutrient/fibre intake were not associated with attention capacity (P>0·05). Our results suggest that healthier dietary patterns, as indicated by higher diet quality index and ideal diet score, were associated with attention capacity in adolescence. Intervention studies investigating a causal relationship between diet quality and attention are warranted.