Dietary patterns and lifestyle characteristics in adults: results from the Hellenic National Nutrition and Health Survey (HNNHS)

D Karageorgou; E Magriplis; A V Mitsopoulou; I Dimakopoulos; I Bakogianni; R Micha; G Michas; M Chourdakis; T Ntouroupi; S M Tsaniklidou; K Argyri; D B Panagiotakos; A Zampelas; HNNHS Contributors; HNNHS Advisory Committee

doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2019.03.013

Dietary patterns and lifestyle characteristics in adults: results from the Hellenic National Nutrition and Health Survey (HNNHS)

Public Health. 2019 Jun:171:76-88. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2019.03.013. Epub 2019 May 18.

Collaborators

E Fappa¹, E-M Theodoraki¹, E Trichia¹, T-E Sialvera¹, A Varytimiadi¹, E Spyreli¹, A Koutelidakis⁵, G Karlis¹, S Zacharia¹, A Papageorgiou¹, G P Chrousos⁶, G Dedoussis³, G Dimitriadis⁷, I Manios³, E Roma⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera odos 75, 118 55 Athens, Greece.
² Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, 54 124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
³ Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Science and Education Harokopio University, Eleftheriou Venizelou 70, 176 76 Athens, Greece.
⁴ Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera odos 75, 118 55 Athens, Greece. Electronic address: azampelas@aua.gr.
⁵ Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Aegean, Mytilini, Greece.
⁶ First Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, 115 27 Athens, Greece.
⁷ 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Research Institute and Diabetes Center, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Attikon" University Hospital, Haidari, Greece.

PMID: 31112835
DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2019.03.013

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify and describe different dietary patterns in a nationally representative sample of Greek adults and to assess potential associations with lifestyle characteristics.

Study design: This was a cross-sectional study.

Methods: Dietary patterns were derived by principal component analysis using individual dietary data (24-h recall) of 3552 participants of the Hellenic National Nutrition and Health Survey (HNNHS). Analysis of variance and chi-squared test were used to determine the lifestyle characteristics of the participants following each pattern.

Results: Three dietary patterns were identified explaining 16.5% of variance; a traditional pattern, loading positively on olive oil, non-starchy vegetables, and cheese; a Western pattern, loading positively on refined grains, processed meats, and animal fats; and a prudent pattern, loading positively on fruits, whole grains, and yoghurt and negatively on fast food. A fourth, snack-type pattern, loading positively on sweets, salty snacks, and nuts, was identified in women. Primary crude results revealed an association between dietary patterns and socio-economic status. In multivariate analysis, highest adherence to the prudent pattern was associated with higher protein and unsaturated fat intake and lower energy and saturated fat intake (all P ≤ 0.05); the Western and traditional patterns were associated with higher energy and total and saturated fat intake. The traditional pattern was additionally associated with higher monounsaturated fatty acids intake, whereas the Western pattern, with higher alcohol intake (all P ≤ 0.001).

Conclusions: These findings are valuable for understanding the dietary behaviors of adults in Greece and enabling more focused public health policies for the promotion of healthier food behaviors in the future.

Keywords: Diet; Food consumption; Mediterranean; National survey; Patterns; Principal component analysis.

MeSH terms

Adult
Cross-Sectional Studies
Diet / statistics & numerical data*
Diet Surveys
Feeding Behavior*
Female
Greece
Humans
Life Style*
Male