Urban and rural dietary patterns are associated with anthropometric and biochemical indicators of nutritional status of adolescent Mozambican girls

Objective: The objective of the present study was to explore whether dietary patterns (DP) are associated with nutritional status indicators among adolescent Mozambican girls. Design/Setting/Subjects: In this population-based cross-sectional study we used the FFQ data of 547 girls aged 14-19 years from Central Mozambique to derive dietary patterns by means of principal component analysis. We used two-level linear regression models to examine the associations between the DP and anthropometric and biochemical indicators of nutritional status. Results: We identified three DP: 'Urban bread and fats', 'Rural meat and vegetables' and 'Rural cassava and coconut'. The 'Urban bread and fats' DP was positively associated with BMI-for-age Z-score (BMIZ), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), triceps skinfold (P for all <0.001) and blood Hb (P = 0.025). A negative association was observed between the 'Urban bread and fats' DP and serum folate (P <0.001). The 'Rural meat and vegetables' DP and the 'Rural cassava and coconut' DP were associated negatively with BMIZ, MUAC and triceps skinfold (P for all