Dietary pattern as a predictor of multimorbidity patterns: A population-based cross-sectional study with women

Multimorbidity is a common health condition, and the relationship between different patterns of multimorbidity and food consumption through dietary patterns needs to be determined. This study aimed to investigate the association between dietary patterns and multimorbidity patterns in women.

This population-based cross-sectional study included 1128 women (aged 20-69 years) living in southern Brazil. We identified multimorbidity patterns using principal component analysis, and the main exposure of the study was three dietary patterns, as derived in a previous study: healthy, risk, and Brazilian patterns. Using Poisson regression with robust variance, the scores of multimorbidity patterns (high/low) were evaluated using different adjustment models.

Three patterns of multimorbidity were derived: cardiometabolic (dyslipidemia, circulatory disorders, hypertension, diabetes), endocrine-articular (thyroid diseases, osteoporosis/osteopenia, rheumatic diseases), and psychosomatic (chronic pain, common mental disorders, acid-related digestive disorders). In the relationship between the dietary patterns and multimorbidity patterns, after adjustment, it was observed that a greater adherence to the Brazilian dietary pattern was associated with a lower probability of a high score for the cardiometabolic pattern (PR = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.51-0.89) and psychosomatic pattern (PR = 0.63; 95% CI: 0.47-0.84). Greater adherence to the healthy dietary pattern was associated with a higher probability of a high score for the cardiometabolic pattern (PR = 1.69; 95% CI: 1.27-2.25) and endocrine-articular pattern (PR = 2.05; 95% CI: 1.39-3.02). The risk dietary pattern did not demonstrate an association after adjustment was implemented.

This study provides the first evidence of an association between dietary patterns and multimorbidity patterns. Greater adherence to the Brazilian dietary pattern was a protective factor for a high score for the cardiometabolic and psychosomatic pattern in women. Dietary orientation should be considered in guidelines related to multimorbidity, constituting part of the prevention and management strategies for this condition.