Abstract
Purpose To investigate the prospective association between a children’s relative Mediterranean-style diet score (C-rMED)
in childhood and a Cardiometabolic Risk (CMR) score in adolescence/young adulthood in the Avon Longitudinal Study of
Parents and Children (ALSPAC).
Methods A C-rMED was calculated at 7, 10 and 13 years from diet diary data. Anthropometric and biochemical data at 17
(N=1940) and 24 years (N=1961) were used to calculate CMR scores (sum of sex-specifc log-transformed z-scores from
triacylglycerol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, mean arterial blood pressure, homeostatic model assessment of insulin
resistance (HOMA-IR) and fat mass index (FMI)). Adjusted logistic regression models examined associations between
C-rMED (categorical and 2-unit increments) and a high CMR score (≥80th percentile) and individual CMR components
(≥80th percentile).
Results A high C-rMED at 13 was associated with a 32% (OR 0.68 (95% CI: 0.49, 0.94)) decreased adjusted odds of having
a high CMR score at 24 years, compared to participants with a low C-rMED. No associations were evident at other ages.
Tracking of the C-rMED across the three ages showed a stronger negative association between C-rMED and CMR at 24 years
when children had at least two high C-rMED scores from 7 to 13 years (adjusted OR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.29, 0.85), compared
to all low scores. FMI and HOMA-IR were the main CMR components contributing to this association.
Conclusion Higher Mediterranean-style diet scores in early adolescence were associated with a better CMR profle in young
adults (24 year olds). This underscores the importance of establishing healthy eating habits early in life for future cardiometabolic health.
in childhood and a Cardiometabolic Risk (CMR) score in adolescence/young adulthood in the Avon Longitudinal Study of
Parents and Children (ALSPAC).
Methods A C-rMED was calculated at 7, 10 and 13 years from diet diary data. Anthropometric and biochemical data at 17
(N=1940) and 24 years (N=1961) were used to calculate CMR scores (sum of sex-specifc log-transformed z-scores from
triacylglycerol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, mean arterial blood pressure, homeostatic model assessment of insulin
resistance (HOMA-IR) and fat mass index (FMI)). Adjusted logistic regression models examined associations between
C-rMED (categorical and 2-unit increments) and a high CMR score (≥80th percentile) and individual CMR components
(≥80th percentile).
Results A high C-rMED at 13 was associated with a 32% (OR 0.68 (95% CI: 0.49, 0.94)) decreased adjusted odds of having
a high CMR score at 24 years, compared to participants with a low C-rMED. No associations were evident at other ages.
Tracking of the C-rMED across the three ages showed a stronger negative association between C-rMED and CMR at 24 years
when children had at least two high C-rMED scores from 7 to 13 years (adjusted OR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.29, 0.85), compared
to all low scores. FMI and HOMA-IR were the main CMR components contributing to this association.
Conclusion Higher Mediterranean-style diet scores in early adolescence were associated with a better CMR profle in young
adults (24 year olds). This underscores the importance of establishing healthy eating habits early in life for future cardiometabolic health.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 16 |
| Journal | European Journal of Nutrition |
| Early online date | 17 Sep 2021 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 17 Sep 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The UK Medical Research Council and Wellcome (Grant ref: 217065/Z/19/Z) and the University of Bristol provide core support for ALSPAC. A comprehensive list of grant funding is available on the ALSPAC website ( http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/external/documents/grant-acknowledgements.pdf ). This research was specifically funded by Wellcome Trust and MRC (076467/Z/05/Z) and The British Heart Foundation (CS/15/6/31468). GB is supported by a British Heart Foundation Research Fellowship (FS/19/3/34255). CMT is supported by an MRC Career Development Award (MR/T010010/1). The study funders had no role in the study design, data collection or analysis, or preparation of the manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).
Structured keywords
- SPS Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences
Keywords
- Mediterranean dietary pattern
- Cardiometabolic risk score
- Children and adolescents
- ALSPAC
- Prospective cohort study