by In a recent study published in Scientific Reports, the researchers identified and analyzed the associations between key dietary patterns and metabolic risk factors in adults from Northwest Ethiopia.
Study: Dietary patterns and associations with metabolic risk factors for non-communicable diseases. Image Credit: Serhiy Stakhnyk/Shutterstock.com
Background
Metabolic risk factors such as abdominal obesity, high body mass index (BMI), and hypertension are the main contributors to the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide, with a significant impact on developing countries.
These factors cause metabolic disturbances that lead to chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Hypertension affects over a billion people worldwide, and obesity rates are extremely high.
Dietary habits have a significant impact on these risk factors. Studies show that a shift towards unhealthy processed food is due to food security issues and cultural changes.
More research is needed to understand how regional dietary patterns in developing countries such as Ethiopia influence metabolic risk factors and to inform effective nutritional interventions and policies to reduce NCDs. prevent.
About the study
In a community-based cross-sectional survey conducted from May to June 2021 in Bahir Dar, Northwest Ethiopia, 423 adults were recruited from residential homes using a systematic random sampling technique.
This sample size was calculated based on assumptions of a prevalence rate of 50%, a confidence level of 95%, and an estimated non-response rate of 10%. Eligible participants were adults aged 18 to 65, who had lived in the area for at least six months.
The nutrition of adults was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), which included fourteen food groups: vegetables, fruit, cereals, meat, dairy and fast foods. Participants were asked over the past month how often they had been eating these food groups.
Standardized instruments were used for physical measurements such as weight, hip/waist circumference, height, and blood pressure. Blood pressure measurements were taken twice, and the average was used for analysis.
Hypertension was defined as blood pressure ≥ 140/90 mmHg. BMI was calculated, with values of 25–30 kg/m² classified as overweight and ≥ 30 as obese. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) was also calculated, with ≥ 0.85 for women and ≥ 0.90 for men indicating abdominal obesity.
Data were coded and analyzed using Epi Data and SPSS software. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to identify dietary patterns, and logistic regression analysis examined associations between dietary patterns and metabolic risk factors.
Variables showing associations in bivariate analysis were adjusted in multivariate logistic regression to identify significant predictors. The study complied with ethical guidelines and received approval from relevant committees.
Study results
The current study conducted in North West Ethiopia identified four main dietary patterns among 415 adults: the ‘western’ and ‘traditional’ patterns.
The Westernized pattern was marked by higher consumption of meat, dairy, fruit, fast foods, alcoholic beverages, fish, and sweet foods. Conversely, the traditional pattern was characterized by a frequent intake of vegetables, legumes, roots, cereals, tubers, coffee and oils.
The prevalence of metabolic risk factors such as hypertension, overweight/obesity, and abdominal obesity varied across the population. In particular, hypertension was significantly lower among adults who adhered more to a Western dietary pattern.
Specifically, those in the third and fourth quantiles of this pattern were 72% and 65% less likely to have hypertension, respectively, than those in the first quantile. However, no significant association was observed between the dietary patterns and other metabolic risk factors such as overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity.
Demographically, younger, married and middle-income adults were more inclined towards the western pattern, while women and middle-income people were more associated with the traditional pattern. These associations highlight the impact of socioeconomic and lifestyle factors on dietary choices in the region.
In addition, the results of the study add to the growing body of evidence on the impact of dietary habits on health outcomes, particularly in developing countries.
The identification of these specific dietary patterns in Northwest Ethiopia provides valuable insight into local food consumption trends and their implications for metabolic health. This knowledge is critical to formulating targeted interventions and policies to address the growing burden of NCDs in the region, driven in part by nutritional factors.
The findings highlight the complexity of dietary habits and their relationship to health outcomes, which are influenced by geography, culture, socioeconomic status, and individual lifestyle choices.
This complexity calls for more research to unravel the complex relationships between diet and health, especially in rapidly changing societies.
Conclusions
The current study identified ‘western’ and ‘traditional’ dietary patterns among adults. The Westernized way, rich in fruit, meat, and fast foods, was significantly associated with lower hypertension rates, especially in higher quantities.
However, no significant link was found between the traditional pattern, focused on cereals and vegetables, and metabolic risks such as hypertension or obesity.
Demographic trends showed younger, married and middle-income adults favoring the Western pattern, while the traditional pattern was more common among females and middle-income people. These insights are critical for developing region-specific nutrition interventions to address the growing burden of NCDs.
