Association of dietary patterns with body mass index, waist circumference, and blood pressure in an adult population in Ahvaz, Iran

OBJECTIVES: To assess the association between dietary patterns, central obesity, and blood pressure (BP).

METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated anthropometric measurements, BP, and usual dietary intakes of 243 men, aged 30-50 years old, working at the Education and Culture Systems in Ahvaz, Iran, between October 2011 and March 2012 using the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ).

RESULTS: Using the factor analysis, we extracted 3 major dietary patterns: “prudent”, “high protein” and “high fat”. After controlling for confounders (energy and physical activity), “prudent” pattern scores were negatively associated with body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, systolic and diastolic BP (p<0.05). Scores of “high protein” and “high fat” patterns were positively related to obesity and hypertension indices (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION: A dietary pattern characterized by high consumption of vegetables, fruits, poultry, fish, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, nuts, and olives are associated with lower risk of central obesity and hypertension, while dietary patterns with high amounts of red meat, egg, butter, high fat dairy products, hydrogenated fats, pizza, and soft drinks are associated with increased risk of these conditions in Ahvaz, Iran.