Nutritional status, diet quality and inflammatory markers in adolescents

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate diet quality and relationship between Body Mass Index (BMI), diet quality and inflammatory markers in adolescents of public schools in São Luís-MA. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 384 adolescents aged 17 and 18 years. The nutritional status was evaluated through the BMI. The quality of the diet was evaluated through the Revised Diet Quality Index (IQD-R). The inflammatory markers used were C-Reactive Ultrasensitive Protein (hs-CRP), IL-6 (Interleukin-6) and TNF-α (Tumor Necrosis Factor α). Multivariate analysis was performed using a decision tree using the CART (Classification and Regression Trees) algorithm to evaluate the relationship between BMI, diet quality and inflammatory markers. Results: The mean age was 17.3±0.5 years, predominance of females (56.5%) and eutrophic (69.3%). The mean IQD-R score was 55.3±12.7. Adolescents in the lowest tertile of IQD-R (T1) had a higher mean BMI (22.1±4.3 kg/m2 vs 21.5 ± 3.7kg/m2). Higher levels of IL-6 were observed in those located on the IQD-R T1 (1,345 mg/L vs 1,205 mg/L). In the same group (T1), adolescents who had higher IL-6 levels also had a higher mean BMI (23.6±5.1kg/m2 vs 20.8±3.0kg/m2). The adolescents in the largest tertiles of IQD-R (T2 and T3) and who had higher concentrations of IL-6 and CR-us had also a higher mean BMI (23.8±4.9kg/m2). Conclusions: The diet quality of adolescents studied needs modifications. BMI averages varied with diet quality and levels of IL-6 and hs-CRP.

Keywords

• nutritional status
• revised diet quality index
• inflammation
• adolescents