Association of major dietary patterns with socioeconomic and lifestyle factors of adult women living in Tehran, Iran

Abstract 

Objectives

To detect major dietary patterns and their relation with demographic, socioeconomic, and lifestyle factors in adult women living in Tehran, Iran.

Methods

In a cross-sectional study, 460 women 20–50 y of age were selected by a stratified random-sampling method. Factor analysis was conducted to ascertain the major dietary patterns, and analysis of covariance was fitted to assess the relation between demographic, socioeconomic, and lifestyle variables and adherence to major dietary patterns.

Results

Two major dietary patterns were extracted: healthy and unhealthy. After adjustment for confounders, age (b=0.31, P<0.01), university degree (b=0.85, P<0.01), housing size >20m²/head (b=0.30, P<0.01), total family income US >$500/mo (b=0.25, P<0.05), physical activity (b=0.01, P<0.05), and history of hypertension (b=0.36, P<0.05) were positively associated and duration of residence in Tehran (b=−0.01, P<0.05) was negatively associated with a healthy dietary pattern. Conversely, ethnicity (Turk versus Fars; b=0.30, P<0.01) and smoking (b=0.64, P<0.01) were positively associated and age (b=−0.33, P<0.01) was negatively associated with an unhealthy dietary pattern.

Conclusion

Our findings support the association between demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle factors and dietary patterns of the studied women. Therefore, it is suggested these factors should be considered in future studies on the association between dietary patterns and disease.

Keywords: Dietary patterns, Factor analysis, Socioeconomic factors, Lifestyle, Women