The relationship between dietary patterns and blood mineral concentration among children in Hunan Province of China.

Background: Minerals play important biological roles in metabolism. They are mainly absorbed from the diet and therefore, different dietary patterns may relate to blood mineral levels. The objective was to verify associations between dietary patterns and the blood concentration of calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and copper. Methods 380 healthy children (53.7% male) were recruited in a region of Hunan Province in September 2019. Basic information and anthropometric indices were recorded, and a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was completed. Dietary patterns were derived using principal component analysis (PCA). The blood levels of minerals were analyzed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Linear regression models were used to examine whether specific dietary patterns are associated with the concentration of minerals. Results Three dietary patterns were identified, namely, ‘Health-conscious’, ‘Snacks/Beverages’, and ‘Cereal/Beans’. Children from high-income families (annual average income > 50000 yuan) prefer the ‘Health-conscious’ dietary pattern ( P  = 0.004), while those from low-income families (annual average income < 20000 yuan) prefer the ‘Snacks/Beverages’ dietary pattern ( P  = 0.03). Following adjustment for age, gender, guardian’s identity, education level, and annual household income. We found that an increase in the ‘Health-conscious’ pattern score (β = 0.153, CI: 0.053 ~ 0.253; P  = 0.003) and ‘Snacks/Beverages’ pattern score (β = 0.103, CI: 0.002 ~ 0.204; P  = 0.033) were significantly associated blood copper concentration. Conclusions Household income was found to be associated with dietary behavior. Furthermore, higher blood copper concentration was significantly correlated with the ‘Health-conscious’ dietary pattern and ‘Snacks/Beverages’ dietary pattern, but the correlation is extremely low.