Dietary diversity and Its Association and Metabolic Syndrome: Rafsanjan Cohort Study

Abstract The rapid increase in metabolic syndrome (MetS) as a major public health problem may be attributed to changes in population behavior patterns in modern society, including nutritional habits and physical activity. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the association between dietary diversity score (DDS) and metabolic syndrome in adults. In this cross-sectional study, 9,990 participants aged 35–70 years from the Rafsanjan Cohort Study (RCS) were included. Demographic, medical, and habitual histories were collected. DDS was calculated using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). All analyses were performed using Stata 14, with p-values < 0.05. In total, 9,990 subjects (46.6% men and 53.4% women) with a mean age of 35–70 years were included in this study. Based on the DDS, subjects were divided into four groups (quartiles). The multivariate-adjusted model showed that the risk of MetS increased by 18% in the third quartile and by 25% in the fourth quartile (OR: 1.18; 98% CI: 1.02–1.36 and OR: 1.25; 98% CI: 1.06–1.48, respectively). Additionally, an increased risk of high serum triglyceride levels was observed in the third quartile (OR: 1.19; 98% CI: 1.05–1.35). The results suggest that there is a relationship between DDS and metabolic syndrome, although this relationship changed after adjusting for confounders.