Seven unique food consumption patterns identified among women in the UK Women's Cohort Study.
OBJECTIVE
[corrected] To identify groups of subjects with similar food consumption patterns so that complex disease-diet relationships can be investigated at the level of the whole diet, rather than just in terms of nutrient intake.


METHODS
33,971 women in the UK Women's Cohort Study. 60,000 women on the World Cancer Research Fund mailing list were initially invited to take part. Subjects were selected to include a high proportion of vegetarians.


METHODS
The cohort completed a 217 item food frequency questionnaire. Cluster analysis was used to identify groups of women with similar food consumption patterns. Clusters were compared on socio-demographic characteristics, indicators of health and diet, and nutrient intakes.


RESULTS
Seven clusters were identified including two vegetarian clusters. Groups appeared to be differentiated by differences in food types and in diversity of diet. Socio-demographic, health and diet characteristics and nutrient intakes all differed significantly between groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Classifying diets in more pragmatic terms than just nutrient intake should provide valuable insight into understanding complex diet-disease relationships. Dietary advice, whilst based on nutrient content of meals, needs to take account of the combinations of different food types that people naturally choose to use together.


BACKGROUND
World Cancer Research Fund.
Greenwood
D C
DC
Nuffield Institute for Health, 71-75 Clarendon Road, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9PL, UK.
Cade
J E
JE
Draper
A
A
Barrett
J H
JH
Calvert
C
C
Greenhalgh
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000145:classification* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004034:Diet Surveys; D014676:Diet, Vegetarian / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom