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The dietary inflammatory index is associated with anti- and pro-inflammatory adipokines in Brazilian schoolchildren

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A Correction to this article was published on 13 April 2021

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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the relationship of Children’s Dietary Inflammatory Index (C-DII™) scores with body fat distribution and serum adipokines in Brazilian schoolchildren.

Methods

This population-based cross-sectional study enrolled 378 schoolchildren aged 8 and 9 years from Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Food consumption was assessed using three 24-h dietary recalls from which C-DII scores were calculated. Serum adipokines [adiponectin, leptin, retinal-binding protein 4 (RBP4), and chemerin] were analyzed in blood samples. Sociodemographic characteristics and sedentary behavior were assessed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Total, truncal, android and gynoid body fat were evaluated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). We compared the distributions of adiposity measures and serum adipokines by C-DII categories with linear regression, adjusting for potential confounders.

Results

The mean sample C-DII was 0.59 ± 0.94 and ranged from − 2.16 to + 2.75. The C-DII was not associated with central and total body fat. However, the C-DII was modestly inversely associated with adiponectin and RBP4, and modestly directly associated with chemerin. These results remained significant after adjusting for body fat. Every 1 SD of C-DII was related, respectively, to a − 0.8 (− 1.5, − 0.03) and to a − 0.1 (− 0.2, − 0.05) units lower mean of adiponectin and RBP4, and to 7.2 (0.3, 14.1) units higher of chemerin.

Conclusion

Higher C-DII score was modestly inversely and directly associated with anti- and pro-inflammatory adipokines, respectively, in Brazilian children. The development of public health policies is needed to promote healthy eating habits during childhood to prevent the early onset of systemic inflammation and ill health effects later in life.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful for Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG—CDS-APQ-02979-16), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq—478910/2013-4 and 407547/2012-6), and the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES—code 001) for the financial support and doctorate scholarships granted. We also thank all the children and parents who participated in this study.

Funding

This work was supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG—CDS-APQ-02979-16), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq—478910/2013-4 and 407547/2012-6), and the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES—code 001). HHM Hermsdorff has a Research Fellowship from CNPq (1D-level). The CNPq, FAPEMIG, and CAPES had no role in the design, analysis or writing of this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition and Health, Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), Av. P.H. Rolfs s/n, Campus Universitário, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570-000, Brazil

    Lara Gomes Suhett, H. H. M. Hermsdorff, Sarah Aparecida Vieira Ribeiro, Mariana De Santis Filgueiras & Juliana Farias de Novaes

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA

    Nitin Shivappa & James R. Hébert

  3. Statewide Cancer Prevention and Control Program (CPCP), Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

    Nitin Shivappa & James R. Hébert

  4. Department of Nutrition, Connecting Health Innovations (CHI), 1417 Gregg Street, Columbia, SC, 29201, USA

    Nitin Shivappa & James R. Hébert

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  1. Lara Gomes Suhett
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  2. H. H. M. Hermsdorff
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  3. Sarah Aparecida Vieira Ribeiro
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  4. Mariana De Santis Filgueiras
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  5. Nitin Shivappa
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  6. James R. Hébert
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  7. Juliana Farias de Novaes
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lara Gomes Suhett.

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Conflict of interest

We declare no conflicts of interest. Dr. James R. Hébert owns controlling interest in Connecting Health Innovations LLC (CHI), a company that has licensed the right to his invention of the dietary inflammatory index (DII®) from the University of South Carolina in order to develop computer and smart phone applications for patient counseling and dietary intervention in clinical settings. Dr. Nitin Shivappa is an employee of CHI. The subject matter of this paper will not have any direct bearing on that work, nor has that activity exerted any influence on this project.

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Suhett, L.G., Hermsdorff, H.H.M., Ribeiro, S.A.V. et al. The dietary inflammatory index is associated with anti- and pro-inflammatory adipokines in Brazilian schoolchildren. Eur J Nutr 60, 2841–2849 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-021-02500-8

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