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Exploring the relationship between dietary patterns and health-related quality of life among Iranian adult population: Tehran lipid and glucose study

Summary

This study examined how different eating patterns affect people’s overall quality of life in Iran. Researchers found that people who eat more vegetables, fruits, legumes, and lean proteins report better physical and mental health. In contrast, diets high in processed foods, red meat, and sweets were associated with worse mental health in men. Interestingly, the benefits of healthy eating appeared stronger in women than men, suggesting that gender may influence how diet affects quality of life.

Background

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessment has become important in medicine and public health systems. Dietary habits are recognized as crucial modifiable factors affecting HRQoL. However, the relationship between dietary patterns and HRQoL has not been extensively studied in the Iranian adult population.

Objective

To investigate the association between dietary patterns and HRQoL in a large Iranian adult population using data from the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS). The study aimed to identify culture and context-specific dietary patterns and their effects on physical and mental dimensions of quality of life.

Results

Two dietary patterns were identified: healthy and Western. In both men and women, significant increasing trends in mental component summary (MCS) scores were observed across tertiles of healthy dietary pattern. For physical component summary (PCS) scores, a significant increasing trend was noted only in women. The Western dietary pattern showed a significant decreasing trend in MCS scores in men but no significant association in women.

Conclusion

The healthy dietary pattern is positively associated with HRQoL, particularly affecting women’s physical and mental health and men’s mental health. The Western dietary pattern has a negative association with mental HRQoL in men. These findings suggest sex-specific effects of dietary patterns on quality of life in the Iranian population.
  • Published in:BMC Nutrition,
  • Study Type:Cross-sectional Study,
  • Source: PMID: 40490839, DOI: 10.1186/s40795-025-01103-4
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