Do lifestyle interventions affect dietary diversity score in the general population?

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nutrition Science
• Lifestyle Interventions

Background:

• Dietary diversity score (DDS) is a key indicator of diet quality and diet-disease relationships.
• Assessing the impact of lifestyle interventions on DDS is crucial for public health.
• Understanding these relationships can inform strategies for disease prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of a community-based lifestyle intervention on the dietary diversity score (DDS).
• To determine if the intervention improved overall diet quality in the target population.
• To explore the potential of improved DDS in reducing chronic disease risks.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental study design was employed in central Iran.
• The Isfahan Healthy Hearth Programme (IHHP) involved lifestyle interventions, including healthy nutrition strategies.
• Dietary intake was assessed using a 49-item Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), and DDS was calculated.

Main Results:

• Significant increases in DDS were observed in intervention areas post-intervention (P = 0.0001).
• The intervention demonstrated a significant effect on the diversity scores across all food groups (P = 0.0001).
• A significant interaction between geographical area and evaluation stage regarding DDS was noted (P = 0.0001).

Conclusions:

• The IHHP community-based lifestyle intervention successfully improved DDS.
• The observed improvement in DDS suggests enhanced diet quality among the population.
• Improved diet quality through increased DDS may contribute to a reduced risk of chronic diseases.