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Dietary patterns in the Southampton Women's Survey

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 60, pages 1391–1399 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

Dietary pattern analysis is receiving increasing attention as a means of summarizing the multidimensional nature of dietary data. This research aims to compare principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis using dietary data collected from young women in the UK.

Design:

Diet was assessed using a 100-item interviewer-administered food frequency questionnaire. PCA and cluster analysis were used to examine dietary patterns.

Setting:

Southampton, UK.

Subjects:

A total of 6125 non-pregnant women aged 20–34 years.

Results:

PCA identified two important patterns: a ‘prudent’ diet and a ‘high-energy’ diet. Cluster analysis defined two clusters, a ‘more healthy’ and a ‘less healthy’ cluster. There was a strong association between the prudent diet score and the two clusters, such that the mean prudent diet score in the less healthy cluster was −0.73 standard deviations and in the more healthy cluster was +0.83 standard deviations; the difference in the high-energy diet score between the two clusters was considerably smaller.

Conclusions:

Both approaches revealed a similar dietary pattern. The continuous nature of the outcome of PCA was considered to be advantageous compared with the dichotomy identified using cluster analysis.

Sponsorship:

The study was funded by the Dunhill Medical Trust, the University of Southampton and the Medical Research Council.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the General Practitioners in Southampton who made this study possible, to the Southampton Women's Survey staff, and particularly to the women of Southampton who generously gave their time to be part of the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK

    S R Crozier, S M Robinson, S E Borland & H M Inskip

Authors
  1. S R Crozier
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  2. S M Robinson
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  3. S E Borland
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  4. H M Inskip
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and the SWS Study Group

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S R Crozier.

Additional information

Guarantor: SR Crozier.

Contributors: SRC was responsible for statistical analysis. SMR designed the food frequency questionnaire and SEB was responsible for data collection and processing of the dietary data. HMI coordinated all aspects of the survey. All authors contributed to the interpretation of the data and the preparation of the manuscript.

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Crozier, S., Robinson, S., Borland, S. et al. Dietary patterns in the Southampton Women's Survey. Eur J Clin Nutr 60, 1391–1399 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602469

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