Nutrient Patterns and Their Food Sources in an International Study Setting: Report from the EPIC Study
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background: Compared to food patterns, nutrient patterns have been rarely used particularly at international level. We studied,
in the context of a multi-center study with heterogeneous data, the methodological challenges regarding pattern analyses.
Methodology/Principal Findings: We identified nutrient patterns from food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) in the European
Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Study and used 24-hour dietary recall (24-HDR) data to validate and
describe the nutrient patterns and their related food sources. Associations between lifestyle factors and the nutrient patterns
were also examined. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied on 23 nutrients derived from country-specific FFQ
combining data from all EPIC centers (N = 477,312). Harmonized 24-HDRs available for a representative sample of the EPIC
populations (N = 34,436) provided accurate mean group estimates of nutrients and foods by quintiles of pattern scores,
presented graphically. An overall PCA combining all data captured a good proportion of the variance explained in each EPIC
center. Four nutrient patterns were identified explaining 67% of the total variance: Principle component (PC) 1 was characterized
by a high contribution of nutrients from plant food sources and a low contribution of nutrients from animal food sources; PC2 by
a high contribution of micro-nutrients and proteins; PC3 was characterized by polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin D; PC4 was
characterized by calcium, proteins, riboflavin, and phosphorus. The nutrients with high loadings on a particular pattern as derived
from country-specific FFQ also showed high deviations in their mean EPIC intakes by quintiles of pattern scores when estimated
from 24-HDR. Center and energy intake explained most of the variability in pattern scores.
Conclusion/Significance: The use of 24-HDR enabled internal validation and facilitated the interpretation of the nutrient
patterns derived from FFQs in term of food sources. These outcomes open research opportunities and perspectives of using
nutrient patterns in future studies particularly at international level.
in the context of a multi-center study with heterogeneous data, the methodological challenges regarding pattern analyses.
Methodology/Principal Findings: We identified nutrient patterns from food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) in the European
Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Study and used 24-hour dietary recall (24-HDR) data to validate and
describe the nutrient patterns and their related food sources. Associations between lifestyle factors and the nutrient patterns
were also examined. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied on 23 nutrients derived from country-specific FFQ
combining data from all EPIC centers (N = 477,312). Harmonized 24-HDRs available for a representative sample of the EPIC
populations (N = 34,436) provided accurate mean group estimates of nutrients and foods by quintiles of pattern scores,
presented graphically. An overall PCA combining all data captured a good proportion of the variance explained in each EPIC
center. Four nutrient patterns were identified explaining 67% of the total variance: Principle component (PC) 1 was characterized
by a high contribution of nutrients from plant food sources and a low contribution of nutrients from animal food sources; PC2 by
a high contribution of micro-nutrients and proteins; PC3 was characterized by polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin D; PC4 was
characterized by calcium, proteins, riboflavin, and phosphorus. The nutrients with high loadings on a particular pattern as derived
from country-specific FFQ also showed high deviations in their mean EPIC intakes by quintiles of pattern scores when estimated
from 24-HDR. Center and energy intake explained most of the variability in pattern scores.
Conclusion/Significance: The use of 24-HDR enabled internal validation and facilitated the interpretation of the nutrient
patterns derived from FFQs in term of food sources. These outcomes open research opportunities and perspectives of using
nutrient patterns in future studies particularly at international level.
Date Issued
2014-06-05
Date Acceptance
2014-05-05
Citation
PLOS One, 2014, 9 (6)
ISSN
1932-6203
Publisher
Public Library of Science
Journal / Book Title
PLOS One
Volume
9
Issue
6
Copyright Statement
© 2014 Moskal et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits
unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
License URL
Subjects
Science & Technology
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Science & Technology - Other Topics
MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES
EXPLORATORY FACTOR-ANALYSIS
DIETARY PATTERNS
COLORECTAL-CANCER
PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
LARYNGEAL-CANCER
OLDER EUROPEANS
GASTRIC-CANCER
BREAST-CANCER
RISK
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
e98647