Association between Dietary Antioxidant Quality Score and Anthropometric Measurements in Children and Adolescents: The Weight Disorders Survey of the CASPIAN-IV Study

Abstract

Background Limited experience exists on the relationship between anthropometric measures and dietary antioxidant intake in the pediatric age group. We aimed to investigate the association of dietary antioxidants intake and anthropometric measurement in children and adolescents. Methods This nationwide study was conducted in 4270 children and adolescents, aged 6–18 years. Demographic and anthropometric data were assessed. Children and adolescents were classified as underweight, healthy weight or overweight/obese based on body mass index percentiles. Dietary intake was obtained by a 168-item semi-quantitative validated food frequency questionnaire. Energy and nutrients intake was estimated using the Nutritionist IV software. Dietary antioxidant quality score (DAQS) was calculated based on the daily dietary intake of selenium, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E compared with daily recommended intake. Results After adjustment for age, gender, living area (rural or urban), energy intake and physical activity level, DAQS was positively associated with waist circumference (WC), hip circumference and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) in under-weight children and adolescents (B = 1.614, 1.634 and 0.01, respectively; all ps < 0.05). Increased DAQS was significantly associated with higher WC and WHtR in normal–weight children and adolescents (B = 0.536 and 0.003, respectively; all ps <0.05). Conclusion Dietary intakes of some antioxidants were higher in children and adolescents with excess weight. DAQS was correlated with some anthropometric measurements in under-weight and normal-weight subjects. It can provide a novel approach to assess the role of antioxidant intake on health promotion and diet-based therapies in under-weight and normal-weight children and adolescents

Dietary Intake, Nutritional Adequacy, and Food Sources of Selected Antioxidant Minerals and Vitamins; and Their Relationship with Personal and Family Factors in Spanish Children Aged 1 to <10 Years: Results from the EsNuPI Study

“…In general, low dietary intakes of antioxidant minerals and vitamins and a diet low in fruit and vegetables predict increased OS in adolescents and adults [ 66 , 67 , 68 ]. Increased OS is associated with metabolic risk factors and may contribute to the development of different comorbidities, including type 2 diabetes, cardiometabolic diseases, and atherosclerosis [ 8 , 69 , 70 , 71 ]. In addition, it has been found that similar to obese adults, obese children show a higher degree of OS than normal-weight children [ 72 , 73 ].…”

“…Worldwide, childhood obesity is associated with a subclinical inflammatory condition and oxidative stress (OS) that could be implicated in the development of chronic diseases [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]. OS can be defined as alterations in the pro/antioxidant balance that are cell-damaging due to the excessive generation of strongly reactive oxygen and nitrogen species [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. OS leads to the oxidation of biomolecules with the consequent loss of their biological functions, as well as to homeostatic imbalance and oxidative damage to cells and tissues [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ].…”

“…OS leads to the oxidation of biomolecules with the consequent loss of their biological functions, as well as to homeostatic imbalance and oxidative damage to cells and tissues [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. The chronicity of OS has important implications for the development of non-communicable chronic diseases including obesity, atherogenesis, diabetes, and cancer [ 8 , 15 , 16 , 17 ].…”

“…Scientific evidence suggests that several micronutrients, including many antioxidant minerals and vitamins such as selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), vitamins A, C, and E are involved in pathways that can modulate the OS and the function of either inactivating reactive oxygen species and/or free radicals’ properties or, in turn, to work in conjunction with enzymatic antioxidation reactions, consequently protecting against oxidative damage [ 8 , 12 , 18 , 19 ]. An inadequate intake of these nutrients might promote the proliferation of reactive oxygen species, which are involved/play a key role in several disease processes, including chronic diseases [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ].…”

Dietary Patterns among Adolescents Are Associated with Growth, Socioeconomic Features, and Health-Related Behaviors

“…A positive association between higher adherence to similar healthy dietary patterns named ‘natural’/’prudent’ and overweightness was also reported in Chilean [ 19 ] and Mexican [ 14 ] adolescents. Increased dietary quality scores and higher micronutrient consumption were recently reported among overweight and obese school children and adolescents from Iran [ 33 ].…”