A global overall dietary index: ODI-R revised to emphasize quality over quantity

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The initial Overall Dietary Index (ODI) was developed based on the Healthy Eating Index concept to assess global dietary quality.
• The ODI showed limitations in adequately predicting health status in a large Taiwanese cohort, necessitating a revision.
• Chronic diseases are a significant public health concern, often linked to dietary patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To revise the Overall Dietary Index (ODI) into a more accurate measure of dietary quality, termed ODI-R (Revised).
• To evaluate the performance of ODI-R in assessing dietary quality, particularly concerning micronutrient intake and chronic disease risk factors.
• To compare the effectiveness of ODI-R against the original ODI.

Main Methods:

• The revision involved adding quality evaluations for staples (whole grains) and protein-rich foods (fish, soy) and reducing the impact of dietary fat quantity.
• ODI-R incorporates nine items across five food categories (dairy, protein, vegetables, fruits, cereals), two dietary fat qualities (P/S ratio, cholesterol), and two descriptors (moderation, variety).
• The study analyzed data from a 1998 Taiwanese Health Screening program with over 46,000 participants aged 19-84.

Main Results:

• The mean ODI-R scores were generally lower than ODI scores (e.g., 64.4 vs. 68.1 for men).
• Correlations between macronutrients and ODI-R were weaker than for ODI, especially for fat, indicating a shift from quantity to quality assessment.
• Correlations with dietary fiber and micronutrients became more positive with ODI-R, suggesting a better reflection of food quality in relation to micronutrients.

Conclusions:

• The revised Overall Dietary Index (ODI-R) provides a more appropriate measure of dietary quality, particularly concerning micronutrient intake.
• ODI-R effectively distinguishes dietary quality over quantity, offering an improved tool for nutritional assessment and public health research.
• The subtraction scoring approach for overeating protein-rich foods did not significantly alter ODI-R in Taiwanese elderly or children.