Diet patterns in Argentinean adults

ELORRIAGA NATALIA; IRAZOLA VILMA; GUTIERREZ LAURA; DEFAGÓ DANIELA; POGGIO ROSANA; RUBINSTEIN ADOLFO LUIS

Congreso; American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism 2014 Scientific Sessions; 2014

American Heart Association

Objectives: to identify Diet Patterns (DP) in the adult population of Argentina, and explore associations with gender, age and educational level. Methods: We defined DP among 3,010 adults between 35 to 74 years old, participating in CESCAS I, a population-based cohort study carried out in two cities in Argentina, Marcos Paz and Bariloche. Data on food intake was obtained from a validated self-administered food frequency questionnaire. Principal component Analysis (PCA) was used to identify DP. A summary score for each pattern was then derived and used in multiple regression analysis to examine the relationship between DP and socio-demographic variables. Results: 3 major eating patterns were identified. They explained 25% of the total variance. Factor 1 (Traditional diet pattern) was characterized by a high intake of refined grains, red meat, whole- fat dairy products, vegetable oils and other fat spreads, and ?mate?, a traditional South American drink. Factor 2 (Healthy diet pattern), was characterized by a high intake of vegetables, fruit, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, and legumes. Factor 3 (Processed-food diet pattern) consisted mainly of processed meat, snacks, pizza, and ?empanadas?, a stuffed bread baked or fried. After adjusting for energy intake, we found that DP were associated with age, gender, and educational level. Traditional DP score was lower at high educational level (p 0.001), Healthy DP score was higher among women (p 0.000), and high educational level (p 0.001) while men scored significantly higher in the Processed-food DP (p 0.002). Conclusions: Local DP has been identified in our population. This study will provide useful information to set priority targets for nutrition interventions, and promote healthy policies based on local food habits.