Development of novel data-driven Irish diets and associations with socio-economic profiles and health

Dietary patterns play a significant role in body mass index (BMI) and development of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which are the leading cause of mortality worldwide, including Ireland, where 90% of all-cause mortality derives from NCDs. A cross-sectional survey was conducted across Ireland to collate respondents’ socio-economic profiles, health status, and dietary patterns with a representative sample size of 957 adult respondents. Principal component analysis (PCA) and statistical analyses were employed. To the author's knowledge, this is the first study to use recent (2021) nationally representative data to characterise dietary patterns in Ireland via dimensionality reduction. Five distinct dietary patterns (‘meat focused’, ‘dairy/ovo focused’, ‘vegetable focused’, ‘seafood focused’ and ‘potato focused’) were identified and statistically characterised. The ‘potato focused’ group exhibited the highest mean BMI (26.88 kg/m(2)), while the ‘vegetable focused’ group had the lowest (24.68 kg/m(2)). ‘Vegetable focused’ respondents were more likely to be associated with a categorically “normal” BMI (OR = 1.90, 95% CI [1.39, 2.60]) and urban residency (OR = 2.03, 95% CI [1.39, 2.96]). Conversely, ‘meat focused’ respondents were more likely to be obese (OR = 1.46, 95% CI [1.06, 2.00]) and rural (OR = 1.72, 95% CI [1.28, 2.31]), along with respondents attributed to the ‘potato focused’ group (OR = 2.15 [1.42, 3.26]). ‘Seafood focused’ respondents were more likely to report coronary heart disease (OR = 5.4, 95% CI [1.96, 15.01]) and more likely to have followed the current diet for <1 year (OR = 2.2, 95% CI [1.22, 3.96]). Results show that data-derived dietary patterns may better predict health outcomes than self-reported dietary patterns. BMI and NCD incidence rates may be reduced by shifting from heavy meat/dairy/egg/potato consumption (i.e., “traditional” Irish diet) to a contemporary North-Atlantic/Hibernian/Eireann/Irish diet focusing on vegetables, seafood and lower meat consumption. KEY MESSAGES: • Five distinct dietary patterns (‘meat focused’, ‘dairy/ovo focused’, ‘vegetable focused’, ‘seafood focused’, and ‘potato focused’) were identified in Ireland via PCA and statistically characterised. • BMI and NCD incidence rates may be reduced by shifting from heavy meat/dairy/egg/potato consumption (i.e., “traditional” Irish diet) to a diet focusing on vegetables, seafood, and less meat.