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. 2023 Nov 29;45(4):e755-e762.
doi: 10.1093/pubmed/fdad103.

Development of a measure of dietary quality for the UK Biobank

Chloe Montague  1   2 , Stefania D'Angelo  2 , Nicholas Harvey  2   3 , Christina Vogel  2   4 , Janis Baird  2   3   4
Affiliations

Development of a measure of dietary quality for the UK Biobank

Chloe Montague et al. J Public Health (Oxf). .

Erratum in

Abstract

Background: Previous studies of the UK Biobank have examined intake of single food items and their association with health outcomes. Our aim was to develop a dietary quality score and examine the relationship between this score and markers of cardiometabolic health.

Methods: Principal component analysis was performed on dietary data from UK Biobank participants. Linear regression was used to analyse the relationship between diet and cardiometabolic health.

Results: The first component explained 14% of the variation in the dietary data. It was characterised by high consumption of meat and low fibre carbohydrates, and a low intake of fruit and vegetables. A higher score, indicative of healthier diet, was associated with lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure (β -0.81, 95% CI -1.0, -0.62; β - .61, 95% CI -0.72, -0.5) and a healthier lipid profile (lower levels of cholesterol β -0.05, 95% CI -0.06, -0.04, triglycerides β -0.05, 95% CI -0.06, -0.03, and higher HDL cholesterol β 0.01, 95% CI 0, 0.01).

Conclusions: The dietary quality score was a good approximation of overall dietary quality. An unhealthy diet was associated with markers of poorer cardiometabolic health.

Keywords: circulatory disease; dietary pattern; food and nutrition.

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Conflict of interest statement

CM has no conflicts of interest. SD has no conflicts of interest. NCH has no conflicts of interest. CV has a non-financial research collaboration with a UK supermarket chain. JB has a non-financial research collaboration with a UK supermarket chain and has, in the past, received grant research support form Danone Nutricia Early Life Nutrition.

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