Dietary habits and complex food relations in Northwest China: a population-based network analysis

Introduction This study examines dietary network in Northwest China, focusing on food group consumption and regional trends using network analysis.Methods Data from 106 424 participants in the Regional Ethnic Cohort Study were calculated using a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. We comp...

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Main Authors: Xinhua Wang, Duolao Wang, Shaonong Dang, Baibing Mi, Hong Yan, Yuhong Zhang, Yijun Kang, Jianghong Dai, Jing Hui, Samuel Chacha, Huang Yan, Zongkai Li, Jiaxin Cai, Fuchang Ma
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group
Series:BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health
Online Access:https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/early/2025/04/30/bmjnph-2024-001153.full
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author Xinhua Wang
Duolao Wang
Shaonong Dang
Baibing Mi
Hong Yan
Yuhong Zhang
Yijun Kang
Jianghong Dai
Jing Hui
Samuel Chacha
Huang Yan
Zongkai Li
Jiaxin Cai
Fuchang Ma
author_facet Xinhua Wang
Duolao Wang
Shaonong Dang
Baibing Mi
Hong Yan
Yuhong Zhang
Yijun Kang
Jianghong Dai
Jing Hui
Samuel Chacha
Huang Yan
Zongkai Li
Jiaxin Cai
Fuchang Ma
author_sort Xinhua Wang
collection DOAJ
description Introduction This study examines dietary network in Northwest China, focusing on food group consumption and regional trends using network analysis.Methods Data from 106 424 participants in the Regional Ethnic Cohort Study were calculated using a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. We compared intake with the 2022 Chinese Dietary Guidelines and employed the EBICglasso method to construct dietary and staple food-related network, assessing its stability and accuracy.Results Northwest China’s staple food intake was 37.5% of total consumption, dominated by wheat. Compared with the Chinese dietary guidelines, participants’ intake of staple foods, soybeans and nuts was within the acceptable range, with insufficient intake of whole grains and beans, animal source of foods, eggs, fruits and vegetables but excessive intake of salt. Intake varied by province, sex and age. In overall participants, the strongest correlations were found between the two food groups, namely fruits and vegetables (0.33), and animal source of foods and dairy products (0.24) in dietary network. Soybeans and nuts appeared to connect to more other foods and also higher correlation with other foods and were followed by animal source of food. The staple food-related food network indicated that the intake of rice, whole grains and beans, and potatoes was positively correlated with the intake of most other foods, while intake of wheat was negatively correlated with foods of animal source of food, milk and dairy products.Conclusions Northwest China’s diet exhibits irrational patterns, highlighting the importance of assessing overall dietary patterns in nutritional evaluation.
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spelling doaj-art-5fcbee1da814452485cfafe264c8aeba2025-08-20T02:27:01ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health2516-554210.1136/bmjnph-2024-001153Dietary habits and complex food relations in Northwest China: a population-based network analysisXinhua Wang0Duolao Wang1Shaonong Dang2Baibing Mi3Hong Yan4Yuhong Zhang5Yijun Kang6Jianghong Dai7Jing Hui8Samuel Chacha9Huang Yan10Zongkai Li11Jiaxin Cai12Fuchang Ma133 Lymphoma Diagnosis and Treatment Centre of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan, ChinaprofessorDepartment of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi`an, China1 Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Xi`an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi`an, Shaanxi, China6 School of Public Health, Xi`an Jiaotong University, Xi`an, Shaanxi, ChinaDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China1 Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an, China5 School of Public Health, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, ChinaDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an, Shaanxi, ChinaDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an, Shaanxi, ChinaDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an, Shaanxi, ChinaDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an, Shaanxi, ChinaDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an, Shaanxi, ChinaDepartment of Chronic Noncommunicable Disease Control and Prevention, Qinghai Center of Disease Prevention and Control, Xining, Qinghai, ChinaIntroduction This study examines dietary network in Northwest China, focusing on food group consumption and regional trends using network analysis.Methods Data from 106 424 participants in the Regional Ethnic Cohort Study were calculated using a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. We compared intake with the 2022 Chinese Dietary Guidelines and employed the EBICglasso method to construct dietary and staple food-related network, assessing its stability and accuracy.Results Northwest China’s staple food intake was 37.5% of total consumption, dominated by wheat. Compared with the Chinese dietary guidelines, participants’ intake of staple foods, soybeans and nuts was within the acceptable range, with insufficient intake of whole grains and beans, animal source of foods, eggs, fruits and vegetables but excessive intake of salt. Intake varied by province, sex and age. In overall participants, the strongest correlations were found between the two food groups, namely fruits and vegetables (0.33), and animal source of foods and dairy products (0.24) in dietary network. Soybeans and nuts appeared to connect to more other foods and also higher correlation with other foods and were followed by animal source of food. The staple food-related food network indicated that the intake of rice, whole grains and beans, and potatoes was positively correlated with the intake of most other foods, while intake of wheat was negatively correlated with foods of animal source of food, milk and dairy products.Conclusions Northwest China’s diet exhibits irrational patterns, highlighting the importance of assessing overall dietary patterns in nutritional evaluation.https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/early/2025/04/30/bmjnph-2024-001153.full
spellingShingle Xinhua Wang
Duolao Wang
Shaonong Dang
Baibing Mi
Hong Yan
Yuhong Zhang
Yijun Kang
Jianghong Dai
Jing Hui
Samuel Chacha
Huang Yan
Zongkai Li
Jiaxin Cai
Fuchang Ma
Dietary habits and complex food relations in Northwest China: a population-based network analysis
BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health
title Dietary habits and complex food relations in Northwest China: a population-based network analysis
title_full Dietary habits and complex food relations in Northwest China: a population-based network analysis
title_fullStr Dietary habits and complex food relations in Northwest China: a population-based network analysis
title_full_unstemmed Dietary habits and complex food relations in Northwest China: a population-based network analysis
title_short Dietary habits and complex food relations in Northwest China: a population-based network analysis
title_sort dietary habits and complex food relations in northwest china a population based network analysis
url https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/early/2025/04/30/bmjnph-2024-001153.full
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