Diet Quality

Exposure Definition

Overall dietary pattern and nutritional quality. Includes intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, refined carbohydrates, saturated fat, sugar, and ultra-processed foods. Proxy for nutritional exposures affecting metabolic and cardiovascular health.

Proxies

NameUnitMeasurementData source
Mediterranean diet scorescore 0-9FFQ-based scoringDietary questionnaire
HEI scorescore 0-100Healthy Eating Index24-hour recall

Biological Systems Affected

metabolic

Macronutrient composition affects insulin sensitivity, lipids, obesity

cardiovascular

Diet influences blood pressure, endothelial function, atherosclerosis

Sensitive Developmental Windows

adolescence (10-24)

Dietary habits established; growth and metabolism

GxE Highlights

No GxE highlights recorded.

Tissue-Specific Notes

adipose tissuemetabolic

References

  1. 1.Mozaffarian D (2016). Diet quality and chronic disease. JAMA. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.17317