Dietary Patterns in Xinjiang, Western China, and Associations with Metabolic Syndrome: A Population-Based Study

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between dietary patterns and MetS in western China, which has not been previously reported. DESIGN: A population based cross-sectional study design. Dietary intake was assessed using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Principal component analysis identified dietary patterns, and multivariate logistic regression evaluated their associations with MetS. SETTING: Population-based Cohort Study of Chronic Diseases in Xinjiang (PCCDX), conducted in 2022. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 3 208 individuals from PCCDX (mean age: 53.1 ± 10.8 years; 49.1% male). RESULTS: = 0.006). The other three dietary patterns showed no significant associations with MetS or its components. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the high prevalence of MetS in western China and links a refined grains-animal products diet to poorer metabolic health, emphasizing the need for region-specific dietary strategies.