title: Dietary pattern classifications and the association with general obesity and abdominal obesity in Korean women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was done to identify dietary patterns and determine relationships between obesity and dietary patterns in Korean women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using 3,742 cases of baseline data from the Korean Health and Genome Study, dietary patterns were identified using factor analysis of data from a validated food frequency questionnaire. Relationships between dietary patterns and obesity were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four dietary patterns were identified: (a) "animal food" (greater intake of meats and fish), (b) "rice-vegetable" (greater intake of steamed rice, tofu, Kimchi, vegetables, dried anchovy, and seaweeds), (c) "bread-dairy" (greater intake of bread, eggs, milk, and dairy products), and (d) "noodle" (greater intake of ramyun, noodles, and Chajangmyeon). The "animal food," "bread-dairy," and "noodle" dietary patterns were preferred by younger people with higher education levels (P<0.01), but the "rice-vegetable" dietary pattern was preferred by older people with lower incomes and education levels (P<0.01). In Korean women, dietary patterns were related to abdominal obesity but not obesity. The "rice-vegetable" and "noodle" dietary patterns were associated with an increased risk of abdominal obesity. However, the "bread-dairy" dietary pattern had an inverse relationship with abdominal obesity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study we identified four unique dietary patterns in Korean women that were independently associated with abdominal obesity. Abdominal obesity was positively related to the "rice-vegetable" and "noodle" dietary patterns. These finding may be useful in the development of dietary guidelines and the prevention of abdominal obesity in Korean women.
authors.affiliation: Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jung-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ji Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: In-Kyung
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Jung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000145:classification* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055105:Waist Circumference; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio