Gender differences in diet quality and the association between diet quality and BMI: an analysis in young Australian adults who completed the Healthy Eating Quiz

Sasha Fenton; Lee M Ashton; Daniel C W Lee; Clare E Collins

doi:10.1111/jhn.13309

Gender differences in diet quality and the association between diet quality and BMI: an analysis in young Australian adults who completed the Healthy Eating Quiz

J Hum Nutr Diet. 2024 Apr 25. doi: 10.1111/jhn.13309. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Sasha Fenton^{1

2}, Lee M Ashton^{1

2

3}, Daniel C W Lee¹, Clare E Collins^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ School of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
² Food and Nutrition Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia.
³ School of Education, College of Human and Social Futures, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.

PMID: 38664922
DOI: 10.1111/jhn.13309

Abstract

Background: Many young adults report poor diet quality. However, research evaluating whether young adult males and females differ in diet quality is limited. Additionally, although diet quality has a known inverse association with body mass index (BMI), it is unclear whether this association is observed in young adults and whether it varies by gender. The present study aimed to evaluate gender differences in diet quality in young adults, as well as the associations between diet quality and BMI.

Methods: Data collected via the Healthy Eating Quiz (HEQ) in respondents aged 18-35 years between July 2019 and December 2021 were analysed, including demographics, and diet quality calculated using the Australian Recommended Food Score (ARFS). Differences in characteristics were analysed using a two-sample t-test, chi-squared and one-way analysis of covariance. Linear regressions were performed to estimate associations between diet quality and BMI. An interaction term was included in the model to test differences between genders.

Results: The respondents (n = 28,969) were predominantly female (70.8%) with a mean ± SD age of 25.9 ± 5.0 years and BMI of 24.6 ± 5.2 kg/m². The mean ± SD ARFS was significantly different between females and males (33.1 ± 8.6 vs. 31.4 ± 9.3 points out of 70; p < 0.001). Diet quality had a small, significant inverse association with BMI in both genders. The interaction effect between diet quality score and gender in predicting BMI was significant (p < 0.001), suggesting the impact of diet quality on BMI varies by gender, with lower diet quality more strongly associated with higher BMI in females compared to males.

Conclusion: Interventions that target young adults are needed to improve diet quality and its potential contribution to BMI status. As a result of the small observed effect sizes, caution should be applied in interpreting these findings.

Keywords: Australian Recommended Food Score; Healthy Eating Quiz; body mass index; diet quality; weight management; young adults.

Abstract

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