Relation between dietary pattern analysis (principal component analysis) and body mass index: a 5-year follow-up study in a Belgian military population

Introduction Increasing body mass index (BMI) has been related to many chronic diseases. Knowledge of nutritional determinants of BMI increase may be important to detect persons at risk. Methods A longitudinal prospective study design was used in 805 Belgian soldiers. Daily nutrition was recorded with a validated food-frequency questionnaire. Weight and height were recorded from medical military data and principal component analysis was used to detect dietary patterns. Results During the 5&emsp14;years follow-up, mean BMI increased from 25.8 (±3.3) kg/m2 to 27.1 (±3.6) kg/m2 (p<0.05). C... Mehr ...