Background: Obesity, a major cause of low-grade chronic inflammation, is a major public health issue globally. Inflammation arising from obesity affects organs, such as kidney and liver, and is associated with chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. We aimed to investigate the association between the dietary inflammatory index (DII®) and obesity indices in university students.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 361 college students. DII scores were calculated from dietary data collected using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Anthropometric measurements were taken, and body composition analyzed by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA).
Results: The mean age of the 361 students was 21.94 ± 4.04 years and 53.2% were female The mean DII was 1.26 ± 1.08. Among participants, 36.8% were overweight and obese and 9.1% suffered from abdominal obesity. The DII score was not associated with body weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat, waist circumference or visceral fat (both unadjusted and after adjustment for covariates).
Conclusion: The present study showed no association between the DII and obesity indices given the proven effects of both the DII and obesity on health indicators, it would be a good strategy to conduct studies with prospective designs to determine the exact effects of DII on obesity indicators. Key words: dietary inflammatory index, obesity, fat mass, anthropometric.