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Validity of a short diet-quality index to predict changes in anthropometric and cardiovascular risk factors: a simulation study

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 66, pages 1369–1371 (2012)Cite this article

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Abstract

Coronary heart disease prevention in the primary care setting, where time is extremely limited, requires valid instruments that efficiently screen for unhealthy lifestyle habits. Identification of the individuals who would most benefit from dietary intervention is particularly important in this context. We used dietary intake data derived from a full-length food frequency questionnaire to simulate responses to our previously validated short dietary quality screener. We determined the prospective association of the resulting diet-quality index (DQI) with changes in anthropometric and cardiometabolic risk variables in 2181 men and women in a 10-year follow-up. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that a higher DQI score at baseline related directly (P=0.002) to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and inversely (P<0.016) to waist circumference (WC), triacylglycerides (TG), the TG to HDL-C ratio and the total cholesterol to HDL-C ratio at follow-up. A low DQI score is predictive for an increase in WC and the development of an unfavourable cardiometabolic profile.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by a grant (2FD097-0297-CO2-01) from Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER); by portions of grants from Spain’s Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo, Instituto de Salud Carlos III FEDER (PI11/01900), Red HERACLES (RD06/0009), and by a joint contract (CP03/00115) with the Instituto de Salud Carlos III and the Health Department of the Catalan Government (Generalitat de Catalunya). The CIBERESP is an initiative of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain. We appreciate the English revision made by Elaine Lilly, PhD (Writers First Aid).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiovascular Risk and Nutrition Research Group (CARIN-ULEC), Research Program in Inflammatory and Cardiovascular Disorders (RICAD), Institut de Recerca Hospital del Mar (IMIM), Biomedical Research, Barcelona, Spain

    A Funtikova, S F Gomez, M-I Covas & H Schröder

  2. Centro de Salud La Marina,

    J M Baena-Díez

  3. IDIAP Jordi Gol, Barcelona, Spain

    J M Baena-Díez

  4. Department of Research and Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA, USA

    C Koebnick

  5. Fundación THAO, Barcelona, Spain

    S F Gomez

  6. CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain

    M-I Covas

  7. Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain

    A Goday

  8. CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain

    H Schröder

Authors
  1. A Funtikova
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  2. J M Baena-Díez
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  3. C Koebnick
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  4. S F Gomez
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  5. M-I Covas
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  6. A Goday
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  7. H Schröder
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Correspondence to H Schröder.

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Funtikova, A., Baena-Díez, J., Koebnick, C. et al. Validity of a short diet-quality index to predict changes in anthropometric and cardiovascular risk factors: a simulation study. Eur J Clin Nutr 66, 1369–1371 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2012.131

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2012.131

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