Dietary Patterns and Their Association with Sociodemographic and Lifestyle Determinants in Kashan, Iran: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Dietary patterns (DPs) are a combination of nutrients which are determined through feeding behaviors of a particular population. Paying attention to DPs gives us a good picture of the diet and eating habits of people in the community. DPs help identify people at risk of chronic nutrition-related illnesses and give them nutritional advice. In the present study, the authors determine the DPs of people in Kashan city, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the DPs of the Kashan population from September 2019 to March 2020. A validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to collect sociodemographic and dietary data. Then, DPs were assessed using principal component analysis. Results: The results showed that the average consumption of food items in cereals and products based on cereals, fruits and fruit products, vegetables and their products, meat and meat products, and milk and dairy products were 282.38±65.71, 287.58±8.89, 364.17±21.05, 34.48±3.81, and 456.65±39.16 g/day, respectively. The identified DPs included: 1) Unhealthy and processed, 2) fruit and fruit-based products, 3) Kashan traditional food, 4) Healthy diet, and 5) Mixed diet. Conclusion: Findings of the present study reveal that sociodemographic factors and lifestyle are associated with food choices. In addition, the authors found the low consumption of grains, fruits, vegetables, and meat and their products in the studied population. The researchers call for nutritional interventions to modify the consumption pattern for these food items.