title: Dietary Patterns Derived Using Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis are Stable and Generalizable Across Race, Region, and Gender Subgroups in the REGARDS Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Examining diet as a whole using dietary patterns as exposures is a complementary method to using single food or nutrients in studies of diet and disease, but the generalizability of intake patterns across race, region, and gender in the United States has not been established.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To employ rigorous statistical analysis to empirically derive dietary patterns in a large bi-racial, geographically diverse population and examine whether results are stable across population subgroups.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present analysis utilized data from 21,636 participants in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study who completed the Block 98 food frequency questionnaire. We employed exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analyses on 56 different food groups iteratively and examined differences by race, region, and sex to determine the optimal factor solution in our sample.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five dietary patterns emerged: the "Convenience" pattern was characterized by mixed dishes; the "Plant-based" pattern by fruits, vegetables, and fish; the "Sweets/Fats" pattern by sweet snacks, desserts, and fats and oils; the "Southern" pattern by fried foods, organ meat, and sweetened beverages; and the "Alcohol/Salads" pattern by beer, wine, liquor, and salads. Differences were most pronounced in the Southern pattern with black participants, those residing in the Southeast, and participants not completing high school having the highest scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Five meaningful dietary patterns emerged in the REGARDS study and showed strong congruence across race, sex, and region. Future research will examine associations between these patterns and health outcomes to better understand racial disparities in disease and inform prevention efforts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham , Birmingham, AL , USA.
authors.forename: Suzanne E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Judd
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham , Birmingham, AL , USA.
authors.forename: Abraham J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Letter
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham , Birmingham, AL , USA.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Shikany
authors.affiliation: Center on Aging and Health, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, MD , USA.
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Program in Graduate Medical Nutrition Sciences, Boston University School of Medicine , Boston, MA , USA ; Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health , Boston, MA , USA ; Program in Gastronomy, Culinary Arts, and Wine Studies, Boston University Metropolitan College , Boston, MA , USA.
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Newby
keywords: dietary patterns; factor analysis; nutritional epidemiology; race; region; stroke