title: An exploratory study of dietary intake patterns among adults diagnosed with cardiovascular risk factors.
abstract: The objective of the present exploratory study was to assess compliance with the nutrient recommendations among a convenience sample of adults diagnosed with cardiovascular risk factors in northern Greece and evaluate their dietary intake patterns. Ninety-two people participated in this cross-sectional study. Dietary assessment was carried out using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Principal components analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were adopted to obtain dietary patterns and classify individuals with similar dietary behaviour. HCA, performed on the factorial scores obtained from PCA, revealed a 4-group interpretable and statistically significant clustering of participants. For all clusters, the mean daily intake for saturated fatty acids was more than 10% of total calories, while the mean sodium intake was above 1500 mg; additionally, a relatively low mean Mediterranean diet score was recorded. Dietary interventions should be considered to raise awareness and expand knowledge on the nutritional and functional benefits of heart-healthy foods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki , Thessaloniki , Greece .
authors.forename: Archontia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vasilopoulou
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Galitsianos
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fotiou
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Menexes
authors.forename: Foteini
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tsakoumaki
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tsitlakidou
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Psirropoulos
authors.forename: Alexandra-Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Michaelidou
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Cluster analysis; dietary patterns; principal components analysis