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Dietary Inflammatory Index and Cardiometabolic Risk in Ecuadorian School-Age Children
Yankun Wang1,2, Rodrigo X Armijos1,2, Mary-Margaret Weigel1,2
1Department of Environmental & Occupational Health, Indiana University-Bloomington School of Public Health, Bloomington, Indiana, USA.
Insights
A pro-inflammatory diet in children is linked to increased cardiometabolic risk. This study found that higher Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) scores were associated with higher blood cholesterol, triglycerides, and diastolic blood pressure in Ecuadorian children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Cardiovascular Health
- Metabolic Syndrome Research
Background:
- Cardiometabolic diseases and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are rising in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
- Dietary patterns influence low-grade systemic inflammation, a key factor in cardiometabolic diseases.
- Research on dietary inflammation's impact on children's cardiometabolic risk in LMICs is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between dietary inflammation and cardiometabolic risk factors in urban Ecuadorian children.
- To examine the relationship between the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in this pediatric population.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 276 urban Ecuadorian children aged 6-12 years.
- Dietary intake assessed using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ).
- Dietary inflammation quantified by the energy-adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), analyzed in quartiles. Cardiometabolic risk indicators included blood lipids, blood pressure, glucose, BMI, and waist circumference.
Main Results:
- Higher DII scores (more pro-inflammatory diets) were positively associated with increased total blood cholesterol (p=0.027), triglycerides (p=0.034), and diastolic blood pressure (p=0.013).
- Each one-unit increase in DII score was associated with a 1.20-fold increase in the odds of having metabolic syndrome (MetS) (95% CI = 1.01, 1.43).
Conclusions:
- Pro-inflammatory diets in children are linked to poorer cardiometabolic health.
- Findings highlight the importance of dietary interventions to mitigate long-term risks like hypertension and atherosclerosis in children.
- This study underscores the need for further research on dietary inflammation in pediatric populations within LMICs.
Background:
Cardiometabolic diseases and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are becoming increasingly prevalent in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Cardiometabolic diseases and MetS are closely associated with low-grade systemic inflammation, which may be modified by diet. Previous studies have focused on the association of dietary inflammation with MetS and cardiometabolic risk in adult populations, but few studies have examined this issue in children, especially in LMICs.
Methods:
We conducted a cross-sectional study to explore the association of dietary inflammation with cardiometabolic risk components and MetS in urban Ecuadorian children aged 6-12 years old (n = 276). A semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to collect data on child dietary intake. Dietary inflammation was evaluated using an energy-adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), divided into quartiles. Data were also collected on cardiometabolic risk indicators including blood lipids, blood pressure (BP), blood glucose, body mass index, and waist circumference. Data were analyzed using multivariable linear and logistic regression.
Results:
Child DII scores ranged from -4.87 (most anti-inflammatory) to 4.75 (most pro-inflammatory). We transformed the continuous scores into quartiles (Q): Q1 was the most anti-inflammatory (-4.87 to -3.35), Q2 was anti-inflammatory (-3.34 to -1.45), Q3 was pro-inflammatory (-1.44 to 1.08), and Q4 was the most pro-inflammatory (1.09 to 4.75). In the covariate-adjusted model, DII scores were positively associated with total blood cholesterol (p = 0.027), triglycerides (p = 0.034), and diastolic BP (p = 0.013). In addition, for every one-unit increase in DII score, MetS increased by 1.20 in the covariate-adjusted model (95% CI = 1.01,1.43).
Conclusions:
The findings suggest that more pro-inflammatory diets may contribute to poorer cardiometabolic health in school-age children. This is important because even small increases in child blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and glucose levels over time can damage health and lead to earlier progression to conditions such as hypertension and atherosclerosis.
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