Relationship between dietary stereotypes and arterial hypertension among residents of Siberia
Authors: Tsygankova D. P. , Bazdyrev E. D. , Agienko A. S. , Nakhratova O. V. , Indukaeva E. V. , Artamonova G. V. , Barbarash O. L. 
Published: December 2022

Objective to evaluate the dynamics and identify the relationship between empirically obtained dietary stereotypes and the presence of arterial hypertension (AH) according to a prospective study among the population of a large region of Siberia.

Design and methods. A clinical and epidemiological prospective group study of the population aged 35 to 70 years was carried out. The baseline study included 1124 women (70,3%) and 476 men (29,7%). The mean age was 54,9 ± 9,75 years and 52,6 ± 10,0 years, respectively, p < 0,001. The followup period was 3 years from the first visit of the respondent. An adapted questionnaire (Questionnaire Food Frequency (FFQ)) was used to assess the frequency of food consumption. To identify latent factors (stereotypes of eating behavior), we used factor analysis (method of principal components). The association of eating habits with the presence of AH was assessed using logistic regression analysis. The critical level of significance when testing statistical hypotheses in the study was taken to be ≤ 0,05.

Results. In men, the prevalence of AH was the highest among those who adhered to the fruit and vegetable dietary stereotype (75,0%), the minimum was in men who followed the mixed stereotype (60,1 %, p = 0,034). Among women, as well as among men, the maximum prevalence of AH was observed in people with a fruit and vegetable diet (71,1 %), and the minimum was observed in those with a protein-carbohydrate diet (63,2 %, p = 0,049). Among those who followed the fruit and vegetable stereotype, new cases of AH were identified in 30,9 %, protein-carbohydrate — 33,3 %, mixed — 35,7 % (p = 0,846). The structure of nutrition of the population has undergone changes during the observation period. So, 5 main stereotypes of eating behavior were determined: vegetable, protein-carbohydrate, fruit, dairy and mixed. The prevalence of AH did not differ statistically significantly among individuals with different nutritional stereotypes at the prospective stage (p = 0,337): the maximum prevalence of AH was observed among individuals who followed the vegetable stereotype (77,6%), and the minimum — fruit (67,6%). When conducting a logistic regression analysis, after leveling the influence of gender and age, no statistically significant associations were found between nutritional stereotypes and the development of AH.

Conclusions. 1. Over three years of observation, the prevalence of AH among residents of a large industrial region of Siberia increased from 66,4% to 72,0%. 2. With the help of factor analysis, three nutrition stereotypes were identified: fruit and vegetable, protein and carbohydrate, and mixed. During the three-year period of observation, the diet of the inhabitants of Siberia has changed: 5 main stereotypes of eating behavior have been identified — vegetable, protein-carbohydrate, fruit, dairy and mixed. 3. At the basic stage, AH was more common among people who followed the fruit and vegetable diet, especially among young men. During the prospective phase of the study — in individuals who preferred the vegetable stereotype.