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Dietary Diversity within Food Groups: An Indicator of Specific Nutrient Adequacy in Tehranian Women

2006; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 25; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/07315724.2006.10719546

1541-1087

Parvin Mirmiran, Leila Azadbakht, Fereidoun Azizi,

Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling

AbstractObjective: To determine the relationship between dietary diversity within food groups and dietary diversity score and the probability of nutrient adequacy in Tehranian women.Design: Cross-sectional study assessing food intake by two 24-hour recalls questionnaires on two different occasions. Dietary diversity was defined according to diet quality index revised. The mean probability of adequacy across 14 nutrients was calculated using the Dietary Reference Intakes.Setting: District 13 of Tehran, Iran.Subjects: 286 females aged 18–80 years.Results: Whole grain diversity score mostly correlated with protein and vitamin B2 (r = 0.35, p < 0.05). Fruit diversity score was correlated with vitamin C (r = 0.44, p < 0.05). Dairy diversity score was correlated with calcium intake (r = 0.54, p < 0.05). Meat diversity score was correlated with protein intake (r = 0.34, p < 0.05). Most subjects failed to meet vitamin B6, zinc, magnesium, calcium, copper, and vitamin B12 adequacy. Energy intake was a strong predictor of the mean probability of adequacy in models controlled for age, BMI, education level and job status (model R2 = 0.53). Adding the number of servings from each of the food group to the models significantly improved the model fit (model R2 = 0.59). Adding the dietary diversity score improved the model fit significantly (model R2 = 0.64). Dairy diversity score had the strongest association with improved nutrient adequacy.Conclusion: Dietary diversity score is a useful indicator of specific nutrient adequacy in Tehranian women. However, to determine the adequacy of a specific nutrient, the diversity scores of specific food groups might be taken into account.Keywordsnutrient adequacydiversity scorefood groupDietary Reference Intakes This work was supported by a grant from Endocrine Research Center (ERC) of Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. This research project has been supported by grant No 121 NRCI Research Projects and with the support of National Research Council of Islamic Republic of Iran. We express appreciation to the participants for their enthusiastic cooperation with this study and also the staff of ERC, for their valuable support. We acknowledge the assistance of Dr. LE Torheim from Akershus University College, Lillestrom, Norway, in sending us her valuable PhD thesis and papers in the field of dietary diversity score; this was most helpful.