title: Dietary patterns, digestive symptoms, and health-related quality of life in women reporting minor digestive symptoms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Digestive symptoms are reported to result from a wide range of dietary components. Dietary pattern analysis is a useful method when considering the entire diet, rather than individual foods or nutrients, providing an opportunity to take interactions into account. The aim of the present study was to investigate, using a dietary pattern approach, the relationship between diet, digestive symptoms, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in women reporting minor digestive symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis was performed on dietary and digestive symptoms data collected in France. Women (N = 308, ages 18-60 y) reporting a bowel movement frequency within the normal range (3-21 stools/wk) but with minor digestive symptoms in the previous month were studied. Dietary data was collected using three 24-h recalls. K-means was used to divide the dietary data into clusters. The frequency of digestive symptoms (abdominal discomfort or pain, bloating, flatulence, borborygmi) and bowel movements were evaluated over a 2-wk period. HRQoL was also assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four dietary clusters were identified and characterized as unhealthy, balance, healthy, and convenience. No differences were found in the frequency of digestive symptoms according to dietary cluster, except for flatulence (P = 0.030), which was more prevalent in the unhealthy and convenience clusters. No significant differences were observed in HRQoL according to dietary clusters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results from the present study demonstrated that even within a relatively homogeneous sample of French women, distinct dietary patterns can be identified but without significant differences in digestive symptoms (except for flatulence) or HRQoL.
authors.affiliation: Danone Nutricia Research, Centre Daniel Carasso, Palaiseau, France.
authors.forename: Bridget A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.affiliation: Danone Nutricia Research, Centre Daniel Carasso, Palaiseau, France.
authors.forename: Fatiha
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Habi-Rachedi
authors.affiliation: Danone Nutricia Research, Centre Daniel Carasso, Palaiseau, France.
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Trotin
authors.affiliation: Danone Nutricia Research, Centre Daniel Carasso, Palaiseau, France.
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Paineau
authors.affiliation: Danone Nutricia Research, Centre Daniel Carasso, Palaiseau, France.
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guyonnet
authors.affiliation: Danone Nutricia Research, Centre Daniel Carasso, Palaiseau, France.
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rondeau
authors.affiliation: Hepatogastroenterology Department, Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud, France.
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Flourié
authors.affiliation: King's College London, Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Division, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: kevin.whelan@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Whelan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003672:Defecation; D004032:Diet; D000072001:Diet, Healthy; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Dietary patterns; Digestive symptoms; Health-related quality of life; Women