Dietary patterns derived from three diet quality indices and associated factors: findings from the baseline of ELSA-Brasil

Abstract The aim of this study was to describe dietary patterns using three diet quality indices and the associated factors among 15,081 participants from the baseline of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). Dietary intake was assessed through a food frequency questionnaire. Three diet quality indices were applied: the Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI), the Cardiovascular Health Diet Index (CHDI), and the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015). Linear regression models were constructed to assess the associated factors. The population exhibited low to moderate scores on all three evaluated indices. It was observed that women, the elderly, individuals with higher per capita income, and those engaged in moderate and vigorous physical activity had, on average, higher scores on all three diet quality indices assessed. Conversely, smokers and individuals with overweight and obesity had, on average, lower scores on all three diet quality indices assessed. This study found that sociodemographic and lifestyle conditions are associated with adherence to healthy and sustainable dietary recommendations.