Patterns of food consumption and risk factors for cardiovascular disease in the general Dutch population

• Published in: The American journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 77; no. 5; pp. 1156 - 1163
• Main Authors: Dam, Rob M. van, Grievink, Linda, Ocké, Marga C, Feskens, Edith J.M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD American Society for Clinical Nutrition 01-05-2003; American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; blood glucose; Blood Glucose - analysis; blood pressure; Blood Pressure - physiology; Body Mass Index; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiopathies: etiologic forms (general aspects and miscellaneous); Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular Diseases - blood; Cardiovascular Diseases - epidemiology; Cardiovascular Diseases - etiology; chickens; cholesterol; Cholesterol - blood; Cohort Studies; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet; Diet Surveys; Educational Status; Exercise - physiology; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Feeding Behavior; Female; fish; Food Analysis; food consumption; food frequency questionnaires; French fries; glucose; Health risk assessment; Heart; high density lipoprotein cholesterol; Humans; lifestyle; low fat dairy products; Male; Medical sciences; men; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Netherlands - epidemiology; physical activity; potatoes; Prospective Studies; red meat; rice; Risk Factors; salads; smoking (habit); Smoking - adverse effects; Surveys and Questionnaires; white bread; wines; women; Netherlands; Europe; Human; Dietary patterns; plasma cholesterol; Feeding behavior; population-based study; Cardiovascular disease; Glucose; Epidemiology; Cholesterol; Feeding; plasma glucose; factor analysis; Netherlands; Lipemia; Food intake; Risk factor; Adult; Blood pressure; Hemodynamics; Dutch; Public health; Glycemia
• ISSN: 0002-9165; 1938-3207
• DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/77.5.1156

Background: Few studies have examined food consumption patterns in relation to biological risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Objective: The objective of the study was to describe food consumption patterns in the general Dutch population and their association with cardiovascular risk factors. Design: We performed a cross-sectional study of 19 750 randomly selected men and women aged 20-65 y from 3 Dutch municipalities. Food consumption patterns were identified with the use of factor analysis of data from a validated food-frequency questionnaire. Results: Three food consumption patterns were identified: the "cosmopolitan" pattern (greater intakes of fried vegetables, salad, rice, chicken, fish, and wine), the "traditional" pattern (greater intakes of red meat and potatoes and lesser intakes of low-fat dairy and fruit), and the "refined-foods" pattern (greater intakes of French fries, high-sugar beverages, and white bread and lesser intakes of whole-grain bread and boiled vegetables). Higher scores for the traditional pattern were associated with older age, and higher scores for the refined-foods pattern were associated with younger age, but both were associated with lower educational level, cigarette smoking, less physical activity, and higher body mass index. Independent of other lifestyle factors and body mass index, the cosmopolitan-pattern score was significantly associated with lower blood pressure and higher HDL-cholesterol concentrations, and the traditional-pattern score was associated with higher blood pressure and higher concentrations of HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and glucose. The refined-foods-pattern score was associated with higher total cholesterol concentrations and lower intakes of micronutrients. Conclusion: In this Dutch population, food consumption patterns were independently associated with blood pressure and plasma glucose and cholesterol concentrations.