DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF DIETARY INDICES FOR DETECTING NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES IN LACTATING ARGENTINIAN WOMEN: A CLINIMETRIC APPROACH USING DIET QUALITY AND HUMAN MILK BIOMARKERS

MIRANDA AR; SCOTTA AV; CORTEZ MV; SORIA EA

Toronto

Conferencia; INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DIET AND ACTIVITY METHODS; 2025

International Society for Diet and Activity Methods

Introduction: Postpartum nutrition is essential for recovery and humanmilk production, focusing on protein intake and monitoring oxidativestatus. In Argentinian lactating women, three key dietary patterns—macronutritional, phytochemical, and energetic—have been identified,each with distinct health impacts. We aimed to develop and validateindices for these patterns using a clinimetric approach, assessing theirreliability and relevance against nutritional, anthropometric, andbiochemical parameters.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 284 adult lactatingwomen from Argentina during their first 6 postpartum months. Habitualdietary intake was assessed with a valid Food Frequency Questionnaire,covering 127 foods in Argentina. The index evaluation followed guidelinesfor reliability, validity, and sensitivity/specificity. Internal consistency wasassessed, and correlations between food components were examined.Pearson´s coefficients were calculated to test convergent and divergentvalidity. Multiple regression analysis was used to relate the indices to milkbiomarkers. Nutritional indices were evaluated for their ability to detectinadequacies in calcium, fiber, and energy intake, using sensitivity,specificity, and AUC values to measure classification accuracy.Results: Three reliable indices agreed by >75% with FFQ: macronutritional(MDI), phytochemical (PDI), and energetic (EDI), which correlatedpositively to Fat Quality Index and Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women.MDI and EDI correlated negatively to a Healthy Plant-Based Diet Index (HPBDI),whereas PDI correlated positively. MDI correlated positively to theprotein-to-carbohydrate ratio (PCR), whereas EDI correlated negatively.Inadequate intakes of calcium, fiber, and energy were indicated by MDI