Diet quality through adolescence and early adulthood: cross-sectional associations of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet index and component food groups with age
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Abstract
Late adolescence to early adulthood is the period of life when prevalence of overweight and obesity rises the fastest, and an important time to understand changes in dietary risk factors. In this study we assess variation in diet quality through analysis of cross-sectional data from 2957 individuals aged 13 to 30 from the National Diet and Nutrition Study (2008-2016). Diet data were self-reported using 4-day food diaries and coded to give diet quality (DASH index, range 0-80) and DASH component food groups (grams/day). Mean DASH index score was low at 34.8 (95% CI 34.3, 35.4). Regression of diet quality score and food groups on age categories revealed no significant change in diet quality score with age category in males, but an improved diet quality score among females aged 19-21 (β=2.04, CI 0.05, 4.03), 25-27 (β=3.77, CI 1.36, 6.19) and 28-30 (β=2.48, CI 0.59, 4.36), compared to age 13-15. Both sexes showed increased vegetable intake with age. Dairy intake was lower in early adult ages among males, while in females there was an increase in the proportion of low-fat dairy consumed with age. Further research should address the determinants of changes in diet in early adulthood, to provide evidence for targeting of public health policy.
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2018. Diet quality through adolescence and early adulthood: cross-sectional associations of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet index and component food groups with age. PeerJ Preprints 6:e27268v1 https://doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.27268v1Author comment
This is a preprint submission to PeerJ Preprints.
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Competing Interests
The authors declare no competing interests
Author Contributions
Eleanor M Winpenny conceived and designed the experiments, analyzed the data, prepared figures and/or tables, authored or reviewed drafts of the paper, approved the final draft.
Stephanie Greenslade analyzed the data, prepared figures and/or tables, authored or reviewed drafts of the paper, approved the final draft.
Kirsten Corder authored or reviewed drafts of the paper, approved the final draft.
Esther MF van Sluijs authored or reviewed drafts of the paper, approved the final draft.
Data Deposition
The following information was supplied regarding data availability:
The raw data used in this manuscript is freely available from the UK Data Service.
Funding
The work was undertaken by the Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR), a UKCRC Public Health Research Centre of Excellence. Funding from the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Economic and Social Research Council, Medical Research Council, the National Institute for Health Research, and the Wellcome Trust, under the auspices of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration, is gratefully acknowledged. This work was additionally supported by the Medical Research Council [Unit Programme number MC_UU_12015/7]. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.