Dietary Behavior Clustering and Cardiovascular Risk Markers in a Large Population Cohort.

Principal component analysis of seven eating behaviors in 2461 adults identified four distinct dietary profiles: structured, social, irregular, and disordered eaters.

• Study included 2461 adults aged 18 to 75 years who completed an online cross-sectional survey on eating behaviors, food preferences, and lifestyle.
• Seven eating behaviors were submitted to PCA to identify dietary profiles.
• The four profiles were labeled structured, social, irregular, and disordered eaters.
• This was a cross-sectional design using an online survey methodology.

Structured eaters had the lowest BMI and fat mass among the four dietary profiles.

• Structured eaters had a mean BMI of 26.8 ± 5.1 kg/m².
• Structured eaters had a mean fat mass of 28.9 ± 9.4%.
• Differences across groups were statistically significant at p < 0.05.
• ANOVA and adjusted regressions were used to link profiles to BMI, fat mass, waist circumference, and diet score.

Disordered eaters had the highest BMI and fat mass among the four dietary profiles.

• Disordered eaters had a mean BMI of 29.0 ± 5.5 kg/m².
• Disordered eaters had a mean fat mass of 31.2 ± 8.8%.
• Differences across groups were statistically significant at p < 0.05.
• The difference in BMI between structured and disordered eaters was 2.2 kg/m².

Structured eaters had the highest heart-healthy diet score, while disordered eaters had the lowest.

• The heart-healthy diet score ranged from -2 to 10, with higher scores reflecting greater preference for fruit, vegetables, legumes, fish, and less meat/processed meat.
• Structured eaters had a mean diet score of 4.73 ± 2.0.
• Disordered eaters had a mean diet score of 3.93 ± 2.0.
• Differences across groups were statistically significant at p < 0.05.

Dose-response analyses confirmed that greater disordered eating (PCA1) was associated with worse cardiometabolic outcomes.

• PCA1 represented the disordered eating component derived from the principal component analysis.
• Greater disordered eating on PCA1 was associated with higher BMI, higher fat mass, and lower heart-healthy diet scores.
• The association followed a dose-response pattern, indicating a graded relationship between eating disorganization and cardiometabolic markers.
• Adjusted regression analyses were used to confirm these associations.

Dietary behavioral profiles were associated with both body composition measures and cardioprotective food preferences across the cohort.

• Outcome measures included BMI, fat mass, waist circumference, and a heart-healthy diet score.
• The study linked eating behavior clustering to cardiovascular risk markers rather than relying solely on traditional dietary measures.
• The authors concluded that behavioral assessment could refine identification of cardiometabolic risk and personalize nutrition interventions.
• The links between dietary patterns, body composition, and heart-healthy food preferences were described as under-explored in large cohorts prior to this study.