Dietary patterns derived using principal component analysis and associations with sociodemographic characteristics and overweight and obesity: A cross-sectional analysis of Iranian adults

INTRODUCTION: This study examined the cross-sectional association between household dietary patterns and sociodemographic characteristics and BMI in a nationally representative sample of Iranian adults. METHODS: Data on 6,833 households (n = 17,824 adults) from the National Comprehensive Study on Household Food Consumption Pattern and Nutritional Status 2001–2003 were used. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to extract dietary patterns from three household 24-h dietary recalls. Linear regression analyses were used to examine associations between dietary patterns and sociodemographic characteristics and BMI. RESULTS: Three dietary patterns were identified: the first was characterized by high citrus fruit intake, the second by high hydrogenated fats intake and the third by high non-leafy vegetables intake. The first and third patterns were associated with household heads with higher education and living in urban areas, while the second was associated with household heads with lower education and living in rural areas. All dietary patterns were positively associated with BMI. The strongest association was found with the first dietary pattern (β: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.43, 0.55). DISCUSSION: While all three dietary patterns were positively associated with BMI, the sociodemographic characteristics of Iranian adults who consumed them differed. These findings inform the design of population-level dietary interventions to address rising obesity rates in Iran.