Investigating the relationship between nutrient intake patterns and obesity indices among Jordanians

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Public Health
• Obesity Research

Background:

• Nutrient intake patterns are linked to health outcomes, but their specific associations with obesity indices require further investigation.
• Previous studies have focused on individual nutrients rather than dietary patterns in relation to obesity.
• Understanding these patterns is crucial for developing targeted public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify distinct nutrient intake patterns among the Jordanian population.
• To examine the relationship between these identified nutrient patterns and various obesity indices.
• To explore potential sex-specific differences in these associations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 1647 participants (aged 8+) from a household food consumption survey.
• Classified participants into children, adolescents, and adults for stratified analysis.
• Applied Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to determine nutrient patterns and calculated multiple obesity indices (BMI, BRI, WHtR, etc.).

Main Results:

• Three primary nutrient patterns were identified: "Energy and types of fat," "Low fiber and plant sources," and a micronutrient-rich pattern.
• In adolescent girls and adult women, higher "Energy and types of fat" pattern intake was linked to lower BMI and other obesity measures.
• Conversely, increased "Low fiber and plant sources" pattern intake correlated with higher obesity indices in these same female groups.

Conclusions:

• Nutrient patterns exhibit a sex-specific relationship with obesity indices in the Jordanian population.
• "Energy and types of fat" pattern inversely correlates with obesity in adolescent girls and adult women.
• "Low fiber and plant sources" pattern positively correlates with adiposity measures in these female subgroups, highlighting dietary pattern heterogeneity.