Dietary Patterns and Chronic Disease Risk Profiles of Adult Men
Researchers at Boston University studied dietary patterns of 1,666 adult men to assess relationships between nutrient intake and chronic disease risk over a long period of time. The researchers identified five separate patterns among men and ranked them according to their "total nutritional risk":
The researchers emphasized that none of the dietary patterns should be considered perfect from a nutritional or health risk perspective. Their goal in studying men's nutrition intakes is to determine any correlations with overall nutritional risk and cardiovascular disease risk.
The researchers conclude that "the close associations between the dietary patterns, nutritional risk and chronic disease profiles of men emphasize the importance of targeted preventive nutrition interventions to promote health in the male population."
The authors add: "Future improvements in population health will not be accomplished until nutrition interventions demonstrate effectiveness in promoting long-term healthful dietary behavior." To achieve these goals, the researchers emphasized "the importance of identifying dietary patterns in people to more fully evaluate their associations with health and disease outcomes and to examine their roles in promoting optimal food and nutrient intake."
The study was supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
The Journal of the American Dietetic Association is the official research publication of the American Dietetic Association and is the premier peer-reviewed journal in the field of nutrition and dietetics.
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Journal of the American Dietetic Association