Major dietary patterns in relation to general obesity and central adiposity among Iranian women

Studying the links between dietary patterns and obesity is especially relevant for Middle-Eastern populations because of their high prevalence of a particular type of obesity, the so-called Middle-Eastern pattern, and their diets' unique characteristics. Therefore, we wondered if major dietary patterns are related to the prevalence of general obesity and central adiposity among Iranian women. In this cross-sectional study of 486 women aged 40-60 y, usual dietary intakes were evaluated using a FFQ and anthropometric measurements. By the use of factor analysis, we extracted 3 major dietary patterns: healthy dietary pattern, western dietary pattern, and Iranian dietary pattern. Individuals in the upper category of the healthy pattern score were less likely to be generally (OR = 0.28; 95% CI = 0.14-0.53) and centrally obese (OR = 0.30; 95% CI = 0.16-0.55), whereas those in the upper quintile of western pattern had greater odds (for general obesity: 2.73; 95% CI = 1.46-5.08 and for central obesity: 5.74; 95% CI =2.99-10.99). Controlling for potential confounders attenuated the associations, but even after adjusting for energy intake, the associations were significant for both general and central obesity. Although the Iranian dietary pattern and general obesity were not significantly associated, subjects in the highest quintile had greater odds of being centrally obese, either before (OR = 2.15; 95% CI = 1.18-3.90) or after (OR = 2.08; 95% CI = 1.09-3.65) control for confounders. This study indicates significant associations among major dietary patterns, general obesity, and central adiposity in a Middle-Eastern country. Further prospective investigations are required to confirm such associations.