Association between Whole-Grain Intake and Obesity Defined by Different Anthropometric Indicators and Dose-Response...

Existing research shows an inconsistent correlation between whole-grain intake and obesity risk, with limited study on the dose-response relationship. Here, we aimed to examine this association and dose-response relationship among U.S. adults who participated in a NHANES (2003-2018). The intake of whole grain was collected and calculated from two rounds of 24 h dietary recall. Obesity was categorized based on body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC). Weighted multivariable logistic regression models were used to calculate the odds of obesity according to whole-grain intake, and the dose-response relationship was modeled by restricted cubic spline regression. Among the 27,862 participants, 38.3% had general obesity, while 58.3% had abdominal obesity. After multivariate adjustment of potential confounders, the participants in the highest quintile of whole-grain intake had a lower prevalence of general obesity (OR 0.79; 95% CI 0.72-0.88) and abdominal obesity (OR 0.80; 95% CI 0.73-0.89) compared with those in the lowest category. Spline regression showed an inversely linear dose-response association between whole-grain intake and the prevalence of general obesity and abdominal obesity. In conclusion, a higher whole-grain intake was associated with lower odds of obesity, both general and abdominal. Our findings highlight the importance of increasing the whole-grain intake to prevent and manage obesity.