Degree
Master of Science
Program
Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Supervisor
Dr. Sisira Sarma
Abstract
Background: The relationship between diet quality and obesity is unknown in Canadian adults.
Objectives: The objective of this study is to examine the association of diet quality with obesity in Canadian adults.
Methods: Data were taken from the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey. Three indices were constructed using diet recall data: Diet Quality Index (DQI), Healthy Eating Index (HEI) and Glycemic Index (GI). Obesity was measured with body-mass index. Various confounders were also controlled. Latent-class and ordered probit modeling were used to investigate the association between diet quality and obesity.
Results: Latent-class analysis suggested that the association between diet quality and BMI varied across two latent BMI classes, with DQI/HEI having a stronger association with BMI in the high-BMI class. DQI/ HEI were also associated with increased probabilities of overweight/obese. GI was not statistically significant.
Conclusions: DQI and HEI are associated with lowered risk of overweight/obesity, and lowered BMI in the high-BMI class of Canadians.
Recommended Citation
Sundararajan, Kalaivaani, "The Relationship between Diet Quality and Obesity in Canadian Adults: Evidence from the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey" (2012). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 372.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/372