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Longitudinal Associations between Diet Quality and Obesity in the United States, 1985 through 2005: Findings from the CARDIA Study
Author(s) -
Zamora Daisy,
GordonLarsen Penny,
Jacobs David,
Popkin Barry M
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.5.a6-a
Subject(s) - medicine , quartile , obesity , body mass index , demography , incidence (geometry) , confounding , logistic regression , overweight , multinomial logistic regression , environmental health , gerontology , confidence interval , physics , machine learning , sociology , computer science , optics
Many studies have examined specific aspects of diet in regards to obesity incidence, yet studies exploring overall diet patterns are rare. We used data from 2,822 black and white young adults participating in exam years 0 (1985‐86), 7 (1992‐93), and 20 (2005‐06) of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study. We investigated the association between year 0 to 7 changes in diet quality (DQ) and the development of obesity (body mass index 30) during years 0 to 20. Our Diet Quality Index evaluates adherence to current national dietary guidelines for intake of calcium, iron, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, fruits, and vegetables. People in the highest quartile of DQ change had a 20‐yr obesity incidence of 25%, while for those in the lowest quartile (DQ decline) it was 32%. 20‐yr obesity persistence was 8% and 14% for the highest vs. lowest quartile, respectively. We used multinomial logistic regression analysis controlling for age, gender, year 0 to 7 change in physical activity level, and baseline DQ. Total energy intake (measured at years 0 and 7) was not a confounder. People in the top quartile of DQ change from 1985 to 1992 were less likely to become obese (OR= 0.48; 95% CI: 0.37, 0.64) and less likely to remain obese (OR 0.27; 95% CI: 0.16, 0.42) over the 20‐yr study period relative to people whose DQ declined. Our results suggest that adherence to current dietary recommendations may help in the prevention of obesity.