Dietary patterns are associated with weight gain in newlyweds: Findings from a cross-sectional study in Shanghai, China

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to characterize the dietary patterns of newlyweds married within one year and to examine the factors associated with weight changes. Design: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 2009. Setting: Baoshan District, Shanghai, China. Subjects: A total of 342 pairs of newlyweds were recruited at their first visit. Weight and height were measured and food intake was measured based on an FFQ with forty-nine items. Dietary patterns were identified through factor analysis, and the factors associated with weight changes were determined by multiple regression models. Results: Average weight gain of the participants during marital transition was 1·9 kg (2·2 kg for men and 1·6 kg for women). Four major dietary patterns were identified: vegetable pattern, sweets and fats pattern, legume pattern and poultry, beef and mutton pattern. In multivariate analyses, the highest quintile of factor 2 (sweets and fats pattern) was significantly associated with weight gain after marriage in a comparison with the lowest quintile (β = 2·94; 95 % CI 0·75, 5·15; P = 0·01) in men. The highest quintile of factor 4 (poultry, beef and mutton pattern) was inversely associated with weight gain after marriage in a comparison with the lowest quintile (β = -1 ·21; 95 % CI -2 ·32, -0 ·11; P = 0·03). Conclusions: Our results suggest that a pattern rich in sugar, oil and condiments may lead to greater marital weight gain in men; another pattern rich in poultry, beef and mutton may lead to less marital weight gain in both men and women.